Tennis: Winning Williams sisters make history

SERENA AND Venus Williams made history yesterday by becoming the first sisters to win WTA events on the same day.

First up was Serena who won the first professional event of her career with a storming 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 win over France's Amelie Mauresmo in the final of the Gaz de France Open in Paris.

Then Venus successfully defended her IGA SuperThrift Tennis Classic title in Oklahoma City with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Amanda Coetzer. "I found out that she won before I came out to play the match so I really felt that it was my duty to come out here and win," said Venus, who had been trading e-mail messages with her sister during the week.

Serena won a thrilling third-set tie-break after it seemed that she had let the match slip away by losing a 4-1 third-set lead. She also served for the match at 5-4 and again could not make her advantage pay.

But the American raised her game in the deciding game, outgunning her muscular opponent 7-4.

"My technique broke down so I wasn't making the shots I should have been making," she said. "I didn't feel so good at 5-6 behind, but I told myself that if I want to be the best I need to learn how to close out matches."

Williams said that though the French player hits hard, her sister has more powerful strokes. "I didn't think that [Mauresmo] hit that hard," she said. "But maybe I am just used to it."