This content was published 12 years ago. It may refer to a past edition of the Internazionali d’Italia.

Aretha Franklin and the Eurythemics once sang ‘Sisters are doin’ it for themselves,’ and once again Venus and Serena Williams are producing the tennis everyone knows them for. They may be in the twilight of their glistering careers but they are producing winning tennis for themselves, together as a team, as a busy summer approaches.

Serena’s 6-3, 6-1 win over Anabel Medina Garrigues combined with Venus’ 6-4, 6-3 success over Samantha Stosur could be very notable as far as the rankings system is concerned. Serena will move back into the top five but perhaps more pertinently Venus is back in the US top three and world top 50 as she plots a place in the American team after a year with health issues.

“I’m extremely impressed and Venus has been through so much and I think of her when I am down and tired,” said Serena. “I think she is great and she is so motivated and what she had been going through. I’ve never been so motivated to continue on my journey. I feel good and I have had a lot of practice on clay and today I was running so much and I was ready to play and feeling good. I wasn’t tired at all. I feel good.”

The pair could even meet in the final if they continue their recent progress but Venus claimed she pushed herself into an earlier than wanted comeback just because of the events in London in late July.

“I wasn’t ready but I needed to get points for the Olympics,” she said. “I probably would have come back before Wimbledon or after but I didn’t have choice.  I need to win more but it’s awesome because I often don’t do well and so its emotional. 

“I have to get use to a lot of stuff – I’m getting used to a lot of things and figuring out an lot. I am at the beginning and every week make adjustments. All I do is to be positive when I’m down.  Every match is a lesson and a challenge and it’s great to just win nowadays.”