Serena beats Venus on unprecedented stage in Lexington

It was certainly unexpected to see 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams compete in the inaugural WTA International event in Lexington, K.Y. Even more unexpected was her draw as the 23-time Grand Slam champion faced her sister Venus on Thursday in the second round.

Their 31st career meeting did not disappoint.

The Williams sisters are the first rivalry to have played against each other across four different decades with their first match taking place at the Australian Open in 1998. Until Thursday, they hadn't faced off since the 2018 US Open—even though Serena feels like they play each other all the time. Sixteen of their meetings have played out in packed Grand Slam stadiums, with nine of those being finals.

Serena took the second-round clash on Thursday just as seriously as a major, even getting a little riled up over a line call. She would say post-match that she does miss having electronic line calling.

"She definitely hit some out in the first set though that's for sure," Serena said. "I didn't know what to do... I really like having Hawk-Eye because it makes a big difference."

Lexington was a strange environment for both of them, reminding spectators on TV of a public park, but the match quality didn't suffer whatsoever. Aces and winners were met only the scattered applause of the on-site team members, though Serena's husband Alexis Ohanian was not on hand to support.

It turns out there was a very good reason Ohanian and little Olympia were missing from the stands.

"We played during her nap time," Serena said. "Any mom knows you can't miss nap time or your day is nuts."

One spectator tried to get a view but options were limited.

Serena didn't seem too bothered by the lack of fans, family or the heat index warning.

“I just really tried to focus on those last two games,” Serena said. “I am super relaxed. There’s no crowd, so it kind of makes it super relaxing, and I have been practicing in a lot hotter conditions than today.”

The sisters played their heart out, with Lexington the first official tournament either one has played for over five months. Serena's head-to-head record with Venus has now improved to 19-12.

While fans expect every sister clash to be their last, both are entered into the Western & Southern Open and the US Open in New York later this month.