[videowaywire video_id=”11145B6669D54641″]
*Venus Williams cut short the comeback of Serena Williams at Indian Wells on Monday, beating her younger sister for the first time in nearly four years during the third round of the BNP Paribas Open – 6-3, 6-4.
Venus hadn’t won a match over Serena since August 2014 at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. Also, this matchup was the first where Venus was the higher-ranked player since the sisters met at Bangalore in March 2008.
“I’m just lucky that I’ve played more matches than her right now,” Venus said in a postmatch on-court interview. “She just came roaring back. I had chances for the match to be over, but it wasn’t.”
The siblings played Monday night for the first time since last year’s Australian Open final, when a pregnant Serena won her 23rd Grand Slam title.
“I definitely know her well, but she definitely played a little bit better than she normally does,” Serena said. “She served very consistently. She just did everything great.”
Serena, who was unseeded in the tournament, still leads Venus 17-12 in head-to-head meetings. She was playing in her first WTA tournament following a 14-month layoff for the birth of her first child.
“It’s different, I haven’t played in over a year. It’s definitely not less disappointing, I wish it was. But then I wouldn’t be who I am. … I just have a long way to go and I look forward to the journey,” Serena added.
Watch highlights from the match above.
Meanwhile, reigning US Open champion Sloane Stephens, the 13th seed, lost to No. 20 Daria Kasatkina of Russia 6-4, 6-3, and fell to 2-4 in matches this year.
Speaking to reporters afterwards about her post-US Open slump, Stephens said, “I mean, not going to be too down about it. There’s always next week and the week after.”
After winning her first major at New York’s Flushing Meadows last fall, Stephens lost in the first rounds at the Australian Open and in Sydney before reaching the quarterfinals at Acapulco.
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