It was a night of firsts at a breezy Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sept. 8, 2001, three days before terrorist attacks brought the United States to a halt. Venus and Serena Williams met in a Grand Slam final — the first all-sisters final since 1884, the first final with two Black players, and the first US Open ladies final in prime time, as CBS moved the time of the match in anticipation of viewer demand.
There were over 23,000 in attendance as defending champion Venus faced 1999 winner Serena. Venus beat No. 2 seed Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals, while Serena upset top seed Martina Hingis. Venus, 21, topped Serena, 19, with a solid 6-2, 6-4 performance, then quickly raced to the net to embrace her sister after match point.
It was the first of nine Grand Slam finals the two would have in their remarkable careers, with Serena winning seven of the nine.
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