In Williams Sibling Rivalry, Big Sister Has Upper Hand

They warmed up to the blaring strains of “We Are Family.”

For two very strange hours at the Lipton Tennis Championships here Sunday, they certainly were.

Venus Williams hustled to the verge of whipping younger sister Serena, then came to a screeching stop.

Serena Williams fought to the verge of stunning Venus, then stuck her hands behind her back.

When this greatly anticipated match of incredible and conflicting emotions ended, nobody celebrated, and everybody shrugged.

It was supposed to be the stuff of dreams and history, the Williams teens from Compton facing each other in the Lipton finals, the first sisters in 115 years to meet for a tournament title.

Some of it, however, seemed to be the stuff of blueprints.

This is not to say that Venus’ 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Serena was carefully planned to fill two hours of TV time with a little drama and no embarrassment.

This is only to say that many openly wondered.

And that Venus did little to dissuade them.

“I could have played better, she could have played better,” said Venus afterward. “But it was good enough. It was two hours.”

It was 1:58, to be exact. Timed nicely for the broadcast on Fox.

While neither of the women could recite any other statistic of their match, Venus knew about those two hours.

“You guys had more emotions about the match than Venus or I,” Serena said. “There were no emotions involved.”

Leave it to tennis’ most eccentric family to turn a feel-good story into something that just felt funny.

While the women mostly played as if they were painting a house--energetic bursts followed by long periods of yawns--their attention-seeking father Richard was doing everything but painting himself.

You know how the fans usually make banners about the athletes? Part star, part fan, Richard Williams decided to make banners about himself.

He brought a white greaseboard. He would write messages on it, stand up in his box seat, and display the board to surprised and cheering fans throughout the match.

Welcome to the Williams Show!! read one message.

I told you so! read another.

Then there was this:

It couldn’t have happened to a better family. Certainly not a more interesting one.

Considering their father rarely allowed them to enter the same tournaments because he was worried about sibling rivalry, he couldn’t have been thrilled with every aspect of this event.

“A psychiatrist told us tennis is the only game that’s extremely rough on families,” Richard said.

Considering both sisters said they felt no emotion, and saw no opponent but the ball, they weren’t thrilled either.

“We really believe that family comes first, not a game that’s going to last 10 years at the most,” Serena said.

Considering all that, it is perhaps not surprising that afterward more people were asking them about tank jobs instead of tears.

Leading 4-3 in the second set, the 18-year-old Venus made an unforced error to allow Serena to tie the set. Venus then lost eight of nine points--including seven on unforced errors--to lose the set.

“I guess I came apart,” Venus said.

Then, when the surging 17-year-old Serena seemed to have momentum in the third set, she lost eight of nine points--all on unforced errors--to lose the match.

If there really was a script, it will not win any awards for originality.

Not that the women didn’t work, and sweat, and make some spectacular shots, with some 113 mph serves.

“You have to know when you’re playing Venus, she’s a great player,” Serena said. “You have to know when you’re me, I’m a great awesome player too.”

Yet when Serena’s last shot bounced off the top of the net and out of bounds, Venus didn’t jump or cheer or pump her fists.

Venus just stood there.

Serena just stood there.

Then, they walked slowly to the net and briefly clasped hands. Venus put her arm around her sister, whispered into her ear, and they both walked off as if they were just leaving practice.

They later left together for the house they share with their family in nearby Palm Beach Gardens, $397,000 richer with the combined first- and second-place winnings.

What did Venus say at the net?

“I don’t remember,” Serena said.

“That’s just for me,” Venus said.

Could it have been something like “Gee, wasn’t that a hoot?”

It was the third time in three career tries that Venus, ranked sixth in the world, has defeated 16th-ranked Serena.

Yet it was the first time she has lost a set to her younger sister.

All eyes were directed upon Richard, the father who has bragged about planning the girls’ entire lives even before they were born.

He laughingly denied planning this.

“I would never tell a daughter to do that,” he said of questions that Venus let up. “I want them to get off the concrete as soon as possible.

“I would never tell a daughter to tank a match. That’s like quitting.”

Williams left the match before the fifth game of the second set--shortly before Venus strangely stopped her charge--to watch on TV by the concession stand while greeting well-wishers.

“I had to leave because I felt like I was going to cry,” he said of the emotion of watching his two daughters fulfill their dream. “And I’m too ugly to be seen crying.”

There were neat little moments like that sprinkled throughout Sunday, with Williams talking about not believing how far they’ve come since their days in Compton. They haven’t lived there since 1991, yet he held up a sign acknowledging his Compton friends.

Yet those moments were sadly few in a match that was sold as a family saga, yet played like a private joke.

Bill Plaschke can be reached at his e-mail address: bill.plaschke@latimes.com.