Venus, Serena, Federer advance

Published 9:02 am Thursday, January 26, 2017

It was one, two and three for the ages as Venus and Serena Williams set up another all-sisters Australian Open final and Roger Federer ensured he’ll contend for another Grand Slam title.

They’re calling it Throwback Thursday at Melbourne Park: three players who can combine for 46 Grand Slam titles and 106 years in age advanced to the finals.

Serena Williams overwhelmed Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1 in the second of women’s semifinals, after Venus Williams beat fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3.

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Now, the only person standing between 35-year-old Serena Williams and an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam title is her 36-year-old sister, the oldest player to reach an Australian Open women’s final in the modern era — and, for that matter, any major since Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 1994.

“I felt like it was in my hands to force this Williams final,” Serena Williams said. “I was feeling a little pressure about that, but it felt really good to get that win.”