Venus tops Serena in battle of Williams sisters at Rogers Cup

Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska was at her inventive best to see off the dogged Ekaterina Makarova and advance to the final but the main story was always going to be the battle of the siblings.

Venus Williams broke at the first attempt in the second set and levelled the match comfortably as sister Serena dumped a ball tamely into the net. Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

Venus Williams upset sister Serena to reach a Rogers Cup final against Agnieszka Radwanska in Montreal.

Third seed Radwanska was at her inventive best to see off the dogged Ekaterina Makarova in two tie-breaks - but the main story was always going to be the battle of the siblings.

World number one Serena won the first set on a tie-break but Venus found her top form to win the next two in style.

A mishit helped Venus force a first-set tie-break in a superb rally which ended with Serena fizzing a cross-court forehand just wide - but it was the younger sister who took the set as Venus sent a backhand long.

Venus broke at the first attempt in set two and levelled the match comfortably as Serena dumped a ball tamely into the net.

Venus won a backhand exchange to go up a break at 4-2 in the decider and a huge serve wrapped up a 6-7 (2/7) 6-2 6-3 win lasting just over two hours - closing the career head-to-head series to 14-11 in Serena’s favour.

Venus told wtatour.com: “The level of game we played was pretty high. We’re both serving well, returning well, moving well - everything is happening so well that all of our matches seem to be very competitive.”

Serena added: “She was really opening the court well. She’s such a good mover. She moves really well.

“I think her serve was way more consistent than mine. I had more aces, but she served better. Ultimately I think she returned better as well.”

Venus Williams will go for her 46th WTA title in her 74th final when she takes on Radwanska, whose semi-final was a set shorter but two minutes longer.

Makarova saved four break points to take the first set the distance but had no answer in the breaker, capitulating 7-1.

Radwanska led by a break at 3-1 in the second but her Russian opponent hit back to lead 4-3.

The Pole had a huge stroke of luck as a huge net-cord wrong-footed her opponent to set up a break point which she took to leave herself serving for the match - but again she let the advantage slip.

She was taken to another tie break and saw an early 4-1 lead pegged back but a final surge took her to a deserved 7-6 (7/1) 7-6 (7/3) win.

“It was a great match,” Radwanska told BT Sport. “It was two hours of fighting with a lot of long rallies and long games.

“I had to run a lot to win that match, she’s a very consistent player and she doesn’t give you any free points.”

Looking ahead to the final against Williams, Radwanska added: “She’s really on fire, she’s playing amazing this week. It’s not going to be easy, for sure.”

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