NEW YORK _ Chris Evert, a six-time U.S Open champion and 18-time Grand Slam winner who's now an analyst for ESPN, gave Serena Williams the "slight edge" in Friday's third-round U.S. Open match between Serena and Venus Williams.
Evert based that on the progress Serena has recently made in her return from maternity leave and the fact that Venus had a knee injury that led her to withdraw from a pre-Open tournament in Cincinnati. No matter who wins, Evert expects it to be riveting. "I love it. It's a celebration of the two most dominant players over the last 20 years," Evert said Thursday. "It's a legacy we'll never, ever see again, two sisters playing at that level. It transcends tennis purists. Everybody is curious and will be intrigued."
Venus defeated Serena in the third round at Indian Wells in March, Serena's first tournament since her baby's birth. "She's a different player now," Evert said. "I think if Venus is playing well it could be a three-set battle. It almost depends more on Venus than Serena.
"Serena is more consistent now. She's eager and she's moving better. The question is, can Venus step it up? Serena is kind of on a roll, as she's proven in her last two matches. She's starting to get her mojo back."
Venus, seeded No. 16, defeated wild-card Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets and Camila Giorgi in three sets. Serena, seeded 17th, defeated Magda Linette 6-4, 6-0 and subdued Carina Witthoeft 6-2, 6-2. Serena is 17-12 against her sister.
Evert said that defending champion Sloane Stephens, 2017 runner-up Madison Keys, Angelique Kerber and the Williams sisters are capable of winning here. She'd put "more of my money" on Serena than on Venus. "The thing with Venus is her knee. I question, with seven matches in a row on hard courts, how her knee will hold up," Evert said. "Serena is a little fresher and if she gets to the second week she'll be dangerous. She still has her weapons."
