- Serena Leads Series 15-11; Only Six Sets from Calendar Year Grand Slam
- Sisters are 2-2 at US Open, including 1-1 in Finals; Haven’t Met in New York since 2008
- Nightcap on Ashe: Top Seed Djokovic vs. Surprising No. 18 Feliciano Lopez
The Williams Sisters will meet on court for the 27th time Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN in the US Open quarterfinals – 35-year-old Venus and 33-year-old Serena who is aiming for the first calendar year Grand Slam in tennis since 1988. With victories at this year’s Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, plus the first four rounds in New York, Serena is just three wins – as few as six sets – away from the historic achievement, last accomplished by Steffi Graf. The younger sister holds a 15-11 advantage in their sibling rivalry, but they are tied 2-2 at the US Open (Venus won the 2001 final and a 2005 fourth round match; Serena won the 2002 final and a 2008 quarterfinal). The winner will face an unseeded player Thursday in prime time for a slot in Saturday’s championship — either Kristina Mladenovic of France or Roberta Vinci of Italy.
The nightcap on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday will see the other top seed, 2011 champion Novak Djokovic, play No. 18 Feliciano Lopez of Spain. Afternoon quarterfinal action on ESPN begins at noon with the Vinci/Mladenovic match, followed by champion No. 9 Marin Cilic – defending a Major title for the first time – against No. 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The women’s semifinals will be aired in prime time on Thursday at 7 p.m. with the championship Saturday at 3 p.m.; the men’s semifinals are Friday at 3 p.m. with the championship Sunday at 4 p.m. – all on ESPN.
ESPN3’s offering of all televised courts – plus a feed in Spanish – will be joined starting Tuesday by the “US Open Chase Review Multicam” for matches on Ashe – an iso-cam on each player and the traditional TV production.
A Williams Sisters Tale of the Tape:
| (1) Serena Williams (USA) | (23) Venus Williams (USA) |
| 33 (turns 34 on Sept. 26) | Turned 35 on June 17 |
| Born in Saginaw, Mich. | Born in Lynwood, Calif. |
| Raised in Compton, Calif. | Raised in Compton, Calif. |
| Resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. | Resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. |
| Height: 5-9 | Height: 6-1 |
| Unmarried, no children | Unmarried, no children |
| Turned pro in 1995 | Turned pro in 1994 |
| 69 career titles (21 at Majors) | 46 career titles (7 Majors) |
| 742 career wins | 693 career wins |
| 6 US Open titles
(1999, 2002, ‘08, 2012-14) |
2 US Open titles
(2000, ‘01) |
| 52-2 in 2015 | 28-10 in 2015 |
| 25-0 in 2015 at Majors | 11-3 in 2015 in Majors |
| 5 titles in 2015 (Australian Open, Miami, French Open, Wimbledon, Cincinnati) | 1 title in 2015 (Auckland) |
| Head to Head | |
| Overall | Serena 15-11 |
| First Meeting | 1998 Australian Open, second round
Venus won 7-6, 6-1 |
| Most Recent Meeting | 2015 Wimbledon, fourth round
Serena won 6-4, 6-3 |
| Longest Streak | Serena, 6 – includes all four finals in the “Serena Slam” of 2002-03 |
| On Hard Court | 8-8 |
| At US Open | 2-2
Venus won 2001 final, 2005 4th rounder Serena won 2002 final, 2008 QF |
| Majors | Serena 8-5 |
| Finals | Serena 8-3 |
| Major Finals | Serena 6-2 |
| US Open Finals | 1-1
(Venus won in 2001, Serena in ’02) |
| 2010 – present | Serena 2-1 |
ESPN has televised the US Open since 2009. An 11-year
agreement with the USTA for exclusivity was announced in May 2013. A complete look at ESPN’s plans for the 2015 US Open including the daily schedule ( http://es.pn/1ECwZws ), a look at new technology ( http://es.pn/1MzW0yM ) and a conference call on programming and production plans ( http://es.pn/1PoHn0D ).
ESPN & the 2015 US Open
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network(s) |
| Tue Sep 8 | 10:40 a.m.
Noon |
US Open Quarterfinals | ESPN3
ESPN |
| Wed Sep 9 | 10:40 a.m.
11 a.m. |
US Open Quarterfinals | ESPN3
ESPN |
| 8 p.m. | US Open Men’s Quarterfinals | ESPN2 | |
| Thur Sep 10 | Noon
7 p.m. |
US Open Doubles Matches
US Open Women’s Semifinals |
ESPN3
ESPN |
| Fri Sep 11 | Noon | US Open Mixed Doubles Championship | ESPN3 |
| 3 p.m. | US Open Men’s Semifinals | ESPN / ESPN3 | |
| Sat Sep 12 | Noon | US Open Men’s Doubles Championship | ESPN3 |
| 3 p.m. | US Open Women’s Championship | ESPN / ESPN3
ESPN Deportes |
|
| Sun Sep 13 | Noon | US Open Women’s Doubles Championship | ESPN3 |
| 3:30 p.m. | 2015 US Open Men’s Championship Preview | ESPN | |
| 4 p.m. | US Open Men’s Championship | ESPN |
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