Iintombi ezitshatsheleyo kwintenetya, uSerena Williams noVenus Williams, zizakudibana etshatshalazeni kumdlalo wokugqibela we-Australian Open ngoMgqibelo. Ukudibana kwezi ntokazi zizalwa kunye kufana nokuzalisekiswa kwephupha kuzo ngoba lo mdlalo uzakubhala iincwadi zembali ngokutsha ngomnye wabo.

USerena Williams, owaziwa njengoMamqwathi ngabalandeeli bakhe kweli lizwe loMzantsi Afrika, uvuthulule kakubi inzwakazi ebedlala nayo uCroat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni kwimizuzu engamashumi amahlanu ngo’6-2, 6-1.

Le ntshatsheli (Serena) yaqibela udlala nodade wayo ngo’1998 phambi kokufumana indebe yayo ye-Australian Open yesixhenxe – apho wadlula elinye ichule kwintenetya uSteffi Graf, owaphumelela iindebe ezingamashumi amabini anesibini. Ngoku uSerena ufumana ithuba elihle kakhulu lokubethelela indawo yakhe kwimbali yentenetya yehlabathi. Ukuba uyawuphumelela lo mdlalo wamagqibela kankqoyi we-Australian Open, ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, uzakubuyela kwindawo yakhe yokuqala kwintenetya ethathwe kuye ngu-Angelique Kerber kunyaka ophelileyo.

Okunika umdla kuyo yonke le nto izakwenzeka kukuba umntu ome endleleni kaSerena ngusisi wakhe amthanda kakhulu – uVenus Williams. Yena kwelakhe icala uVenus uzibethele omnye umMelika ogama linguCoco Vandeweghe ngo’6-7(3/7), 6-2, 6-3 kumdlalo ophambi kwamagqibela kankqoyi. Intomb’encinci, uSerena, ayikwazanga ukuzibamba ngenxa yovuyo emva kokuva iindaba ezithi usisi wayo uphumelele. “Khange ndikwazi ukubukela umdlalo kaVenus. Nangoku ndiyazingca ngaye, uyandikhuthaza futhi ungusisi wam,” utshilo uSerena.

“Usisi wam uyinto yonke ebomini bam. Bendingakholelwa ukuba nyhani sizakudlala sobabini umdlalo wamagqibela kankqoyi. Yinto enkulu kakhulu kuthi sobabini,” utshilo uSerena.

Esi siqishimba sakwaWilliams simqhwabele izandla kodwa uLucic-Baroni (obedlala naye) owadibana naye kwiminyaka yoo-1990. UWilliams uthe usebenze kakhulu uLucic-Baroni kule tumente ngoba akululanga ukuhamba umgama ongaka emva kokuxinwa ziinxaki zobom.