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Watch out: Venus and Serena Williams are on another U.S. Open crash course

When Venus and Serena Williams met in the fourth-round of Wimbledon earlier this summer, with Serena going for her second Serena Slam and Venus hoping to make one last magical, improbable run at the All England Club, many assumed it’d be the last time we’d see the sisters play the sort of big-time tennis match that they used to play as far back as 16 years ago.

But now, improbably, the sisters are just three matches away from a Tuesday quarterfinal that would serve as their biggest match since they faced off in the Wimbledon finals in 2009. Venus has already advanced to the fourth round, while Serena has a Friday night match against Bethannie Mattek-Sands standing in her way.

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

Then, Serena would face the winner of Madison Keys and Aga Radwanska (neither seed is an easy draw) in the fourth round, while Venus would have the relatively easy task of getting by either Anett Kontaveit (No. 152) or Madison Brengle (No. 47). Nothing is a given in a sport, particularly when, like Venus, you’re 35 years old and have made just one Slam quarterfinal since 2011.

Venus has one win against her sister since March of 2009 and none in a Slam since Wimbledon the previous year. (Their last U.S. Open match: A 2008 QF won be Serena, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7).) But given the pressure facing Serena as she tries for the Grand Slam, it is possible that the one player in the field who won’t feel just as much pressure on the other side of the net will be her sister?

No matter what happens, the story remains amazing. One sister going for tennis immortality, and her older sister, who blazed the path, possibly being her biggest obstacle. There’s a long way to go until Tuesday, but here’s hoping we get one last reason to celebrate the amazing achievements of the sisters Williams.

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

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