If all goes well, Wimbledon 2016 final will be Williams vs, Williams. But that would not be the major headline. The headline will be mostly about Venus, the older sister. If she reaches the Wimbledon final, Venus will solidify her place in the history of tennis and sports. On Tuesday, July 5, 2016, the 36-year-old Venus, beat Yaroslava Shvedova 7-6 (7-5) 6-2, becoming the oldest semifinalist at a grand slam since a 37-year-old Martina Navratilova accomplished a similar exploit 22 years ago, at the All England Club in 1994.
Venus still has an opponent to overcome to reach the final. In fact, she will need to beat the Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber on Thursday. If she does, she may meet her younger sister, Serena. Serena will, on her side, need to eliminate the unseeded Elena Vesnina.
To get where she is, is, in itself, a big accomplishment, short of a miracle. The last time Venus got close to a semi-final of a major was at the 2010 U.S. Open. A year later, Williams faced perhaps one of the greatest challenges of her life: she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, known as Sjogren's syndrome, that can cause extreme fatigue and joint pain, with no cure. The disease is unpredictable, which is very hard for an athlete of such level.
To cope, it was reported that Williams became a vegan, avoided sugar, and completely revamped her diet and her workout habits. This appeared to have worked.
Now, the fans are ready for a Serena vs. Venus final: sister to sister, Williams vs. Williams, and a historical moment, with Venus as the news and history maker.
Go sister!
