By Bruce Matthews 25 January, 2003 Herald Sun SERENA and Venus Williams each already have an Australian Open title . . . but it's not the one they covet for their expanding trophy cabinets. The sisters tuned up for today's singles shootout with a gritty win in yesterday's doubles final, gratefully protected from the 40C temperatures by Melbourne Park's closed roof. The pair had to claw back from a set deficit and then 1-3 in the deciding set to beat Argentine Paola Suarez and Spaniard Virginia Ruano Pascual 4-6 6-4 6-3. It was a feisty workout for the singles combatants, who were adoring partners yesterday and must revert to fierce adversaries in the same stadium this afternoon. As a guide to today's final, punters would be none the wiser, with both players having their highs and lows. Venus held the team together early when Serena dropped serve in each of the opening two sets. The roles reversed early in the deciding set when Venus lost her serve for the first time and they fell 1-3 behind. The fighting qualities that have carried Serena through singles danger against Emilie Loit in the first round and Kim Clijsters in the semi-final then came to the rescue again in the fifth game. Serena staved off six break points on serve in a game that lasted 26 minutes and turned the match. "Serena wasn't worried at all. In fact, I was the one a little worried because I just kept missing," Venus said. "That's why I play with her. I wouldn't be able to do that with anyone else, honestly. The hold (of serve) was so important." So, how do the sisters feel about having to turn against each other less than 24 hours later? Would you believe neither was permitted to answer that because of a bizarre Women's Tennis Association rule that questions and answers yesterday had to be confined to the doubles final. With the women striving to garner attention in competition with the men, the world's No. 1 and No. 2 players were not able to talk up the latest episode in a singles rivalry the women's game desperately needs. The come-from-behind victory is their second Australian doubles title in the past two years and their sixth grand slam doubles crown, adding to two Wimbledon, a French Open and US Open titles. Awarded a wildcard and the No. 1 seed in the doubles, the Williams sisters struggled early against the Argentine-Spanish combination, which was seeded second. "We knew they would do a lot of lobs and soft balls. We got away to a slow start. They are one of the best doubles teams and it makes you want to fight harder," Serena said. And at 1-3 in the third set, it seemed the final would amount to nothing more than extended match practice for the Americans. Asked about that crucial next game, Serena said: "When I was serving, I thought, 'I'm not going to lose serve here, I'm going to keep fighting'." When the sisters broke Suarez in the seventh game of the third set, it was the first time they had been in the lead for the match. That was just the opening the power pair needed, and Venus stepped up to serve out the match to love. Despite the success, the Williams sisters are reluctant to continue the partnership at tournaments other than the major championships. "Singles is so demanding, that's why we concentrate on the grand slams," Venus said. http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,5885977%255E3162,00.html Previous Page | Continue... NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.