Watch Venus and Serena face off in Indian Wells—with Lindsay Davenport and Ted Robinson calling the action LIVE—tonight on Tennis Channel: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
When the women’s draw for the BNP Paribas Open was made last week, all eyes were on a potential third-round clash between the Williams sisters. And now, after two wins from Serena and one from the No. 8-seeded Venus—who got a bye in the first round—that dream match is reality.
Here are 10 things to know about Serena and Venus’ blockbuster clash at Indian Wells on Monday:
1. Their professional rivalry has now lasted more than 20 years. The first all-Williams match came in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open, which Venus won in straight sets, 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Not including two times they met in the round-robin portion of the year-end WTA Finals, their upcoming third-round clash is the earliest they’ve met in a draw since that very first meeting.
2. Serena leads the head-to-head, 17-11. In almost every way you look at that record, Serena still has the advantage: she’s 11-8 on hard courts, 15-11 outdoors and, perhaps most dauntingly, she’s won eight of their last nine meetings. Venus’ only win in the last nine years came in Montreal in 2014.
3. Venus does, however, have some advantages. Not only is Venus currently more match tough—this is her 13th WTA event over the past 12 months, and Serena’s first—but the earlier in the tournament they play each other, the more it has favored Venus. She’s 5-4 against Serena when they meet before the semifinals.
Tennis Channel previews Venus vs. Serena, at Indian Wells:
