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    fighting polish is David Schwimmer as Rob Kardashian SrStassa Edwards
    9/08/15 11:04pm

    Poor Venus looked so miserable the entire time. It was such a lose-lose situation for her-if she won, she ruins her sister’s chance at greatness. If she lost, she once again comes up short against her sister.

    Which is why I think she looked so relieved when the match was done, and why that big bear hug was so full of raw emotion. Great match between those two (although Serena has kept up her habit of just fucking around for one set, as she has all year long).

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      Kate Bush Wackerfighting polish is David Schwimmer as Rob Kardashian Sr
      9/08/15 11:08pm

      Venus definitely looked relieved. A few detractors keep saying “Of course she’s going to let Serena win!” and I kindly remind them that they dropped their father like a dead rat because he kept pressuring them and setting their matches. I highly doubt either sister would be so willing to conform to the actions of the man they despised.

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      tealstarfighting polish is David Schwimmer as Rob Kardashian Sr
      9/08/15 11:10pm

      That and she has Sjogren’s syndrome. So it is amazing that she is able to compete at the level she does.

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    picklesandbeetsStassa Edwards
    9/08/15 11:06pm

    Just for clarity for people who don’t follow tennis: What Serena is trying to do is win the four major championships (Australian, French, Wimbledon and US Opens) in a calendar year. The “Serena slam” title is because she’s won all four in a row but over two calendar years. She’s won all the major titles many times over- this won’t be the first time. Other players have also won all four tournaments over their career since Graf, just not in the same year. If she wins the tournament she’ll have 22 total singles titles among those four tournaments and tie the all time record for most grand slam singles titles with Graf.

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      Kate Bush Wackerpicklesandbeets
      9/08/15 11:19pm

      Second all-time record, Margaret Court has 24 in the open era

      /womens tennis pedant

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      PitzerGrimmacepicklesandbeets
      9/09/15 12:29am

      I’m just glad I get to see this happen. It really is a privledge to get to witness such a remarkable achievement. Plus the barriers that she and Venus have had a hand in breaking down makes this a great moment in time to be a part of.

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    Kate Bush WackerStassa Edwards
    9/08/15 11:00pm

    I was so conflicted during this match. Serena has my utmost respect and I want her to get to 22 majors. Venus has my sympathy because she’s been struggling with a rare and strange chronic illness.

    I’m also getting a wee bit pissed at tennis reporters who keep saying “We might be nearing the end of Venus’s era. . .” Woman’s playing the best tennis now than she has in five years. Sure, both of them have definitely aged out in regards to the usual age of retirement. I wish they would stop waiting for her to bow out and instead praise her triumphant return to form.

    /rant

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      Dr. OpossumKate Bush Wacker
      9/08/15 11:19pm

      My husband, love him though I do, annoys me with his oft-stated opinion in the last few years that Venus should retire. She may not be able to win Majors anymore but she is still highly competitive in a game she loves. I just wish she could get out of Serena’s draw - would have loved to see how far Venus could get without hitting the Serena wall.

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      Kate Bush WackerDr. Opossum
      9/08/15 11:29pm

      She’s on a climb, too. I just knew she was going to retire a few years ago after the Sjögren’s diagnosis, but she proved me wrong. Tennis players usually don’t go out when they’re improving. Except you, Justine Henin. . .

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    SuffersfoolsgladlyStassa Edwards
    9/09/15 9:24am

    I don’t follow tennis very often, but I can’t help wondering what it is like to be poor Venus Williams..a superb player who repeatedly gets pulverized by her sister. At some point it just has to affect her playing and also their relationship off the courts. Am I wrong?

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      tennisprotipsSuffersfoolsgladly
      9/09/15 11:43am

      You are quite wrong. They are very close, they have commented many times that matches like this one make them both better. They play against each other with hyper awareness of how the other sister plays. Their relationship is fascinating. And I wouldn’t use the word “pulverized”, Venus has beaten her sister many times and was ranked #1 before Serena was.

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      titania126Suffersfoolsgladly
      9/09/15 11:56am

      Nah, I don’t think so. They play together regularly as doubles partners, so their tennis game isn’t always adversarial, and they’ve played against each other since they were children. In a tiny way, I think about my family, where all the adults (except me) are lawyers—siblings, spouses, and now some of the kids. They’ve all reached varying levels of success, and they certainly have dealt with feelings of jealousy and competitiveness, but at the end of the day the value of having someone who loves you and can really support you because they personally get what you’re going through is more of an asset than a challenge. This is obviously not that, but if you think about the course of their two remarkable careers, they’ve both won a TON of championships, made a TON of money, and they got to do it together. Venus was the dominant player for a long time, and now that she’s older and not as healthy as she was, I imagine she’s made her peace with the fact that her sister’s career is shining a bit brighter than hers at the moment. So few people really understand the life that they’re living—I imagine it’s an incredible advantage to have someone in your corner who really gets it.

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    jifaner13Stassa Edwards
    9/09/15 8:41am

    I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to always be pitted against a person you love- and who is simply better at the sport. Venus is amazing, but even she knows she isn’t Serena. Seems cruel to have to compete with each other like that. They handle it with aplomb, though, and I imagine it’s created a very strong bond between them.

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      Chasmosaurjifaner13
      9/09/15 10:38am

      I think it helps they play doubles together, for one. They’re not always on the other side of the net from each other.

      Last night the pre-game commentators were saying that Serena was practicing with a partner that afternoon, and she kept telling them to hit it at her HARDER. Because she knows exactly what Venus is capable of. So I think there’s respect to their professional relationship as well - I think people sometimes forget that Venus was the dominant player before Serena.

      I just loved the big smile Venus had for her last night during that hug. I think that’s a huge sign that they face over the net as competitors, but as soon as the last ball is hit, they’re sisters again. I think that’s absolutely wonderful.

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      Scotlover will be Scotpuffjifaner13
      9/09/15 12:02pm

      I’m an old, old tennis fan. I remember when Venus was young and coming up the ranks. During an interview, she was asked about her family and what they thought about how good she was. Her reply? “If you think I’m good, wait until you see my little sister. She’s going to be the best to ever play the sport.”

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    story645Stassa Edwards
    9/08/15 11:03pm

    I’m honestly amazed that they can still be on such great terms being in the same highly competitive field. My brother and I could barely handle being in the same K-8 school ‘cause of the constant comparisons.

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      Cylontater: Luke Skywalker's Baby MamaStassa Edwards
      9/08/15 10:53pm

      They are both amazing.

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        Brandon V. FletcherStassa Edwards
        9/08/15 11:29pm

        Lets take a moment to appreciate Forbes’s extremely poor timing of this tweet.

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          EilishStassa Edwards
          9/08/15 11:08pm

          Such a wonderful match for both. I wish they both could have won.

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            HaydenPlanetaryFlyStassa Edwards
            9/09/15 10:11am

            Venus played a spectacular match; while I was hoping Serena would win (so the CYGS could still happen), I’m glad Venus came for blood. That’s what she had to do, and it’s a real testament to her dignity and mental strength that she was COMPLETELY willing to derail her baby sister’s quest. Venus spanked Serena unapologetically in the second set.

            That’s the way you want it... you don’t want history handed to you; that would put an asterisk next to it. You want everyone to make you earn it, and Venus certainly did. She played well enough to have destroyed Pennetta (Serena’s semifinal opponent) and would have had a shot at beating ANYONE in the murderer’s row on the other side of the draw (Kvitova, who has played no one good yet; Halep, who has a weak serve; and Azarenka, who moves much slower than Serena).

            Keep inspiring us, Venus!

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