Serena Williams Defeats Sister for First Time in Munich Final

Despite winning the Grand Slam Cup, picking up $900,000 and extending her winning streak to 16 matches, Serena Williams wasn’t in the mood for celebrating Sunday at Munich, Germany. That’s because the victory came at the expense of her sister, Venus Williams.

“I’d never actually beaten Venus; I didn’t know how it feels,” Serena said after defeating Venus, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. “It’s kind of tough to take this win.”

The sisters showed little emotion during the match but embraced at the net when it was over. Venus, at 19, a year older than her sister, applauded at the finish, as did their mother, Oracene.

“It’s a win-win situation,” said Venus, the 1998 champion. “One daughter is going to win. What’s the difference?”

The Williams vs. Williams match was the second sister-sister final in pro tennis history, both involving the Williams sisters. In the first, Venus defeated Serena in three sets in Key Biscayne, Fla., in March. She also won their two non-title matches in 1998.

Serena dominated from the outset, winning 12 of the first 13 points and holding Venus to three points in the first five games.

“I was cruising today,” Serena said. “I haven’t played this well, especially in the first set. Other than that, I started going back to my regular game, making a lot of errors, being silly. . . . I don’t think Venus played that great today.

The showcase tournament fattened the family bank account. Serena earned $800,000 for the title and a $100,000 bonus for winning this year’s U.S. Open. Venus won $400,000, meaning the Williams family came out $1.3 million ahead.

Each sister has won more than $1 million this year, but Venus said there will be no sisterly sharing.

“She worked hard for her prize money, and I worked hard for what I have,” she said.

Serena, No. 4 in the rankings behind her third-ranked sister, extended her match-wining streak to 16, tying a career best. It was Venus who ended the other one in March.

“I really wanted to win this match because I’m really trying to beat my record of 16,” she said.

In Sunday’s second set, Serena’s game deteriorated and Venus was able to tie the score. In the third set, Serena broke for a 3-1 lead, missed two chances to go up 5-1 and needed three match points to win.

“This is exciting, this is what we always wanted,” Serena said during the awards ceremony.

In the men’s final, Greg Rusedski used 29 aces to overpower Tommy Haas and capture $1.3 million, the richest prize in tennis, with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5) victory. Haas won $650,000.

The $6.7-million tournament, which pays the most money per player of any tennis event, features the 12 men and eight women with the best records in the year’s four Grand Slam championships.