A Family Affair Is Shaping Up in Early Rounds at Melbourne

By JULIE CART

Jan. 19, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

MELBOURNE, Australia — One of tennis’ biggest box office draws is a duo commonly known as the Sister Act, Venus and Serena Williams. As befits their star status, the two teen-aged players were accorded center stage on the opening day of the Australian Open.

While higher-ranked and more highly decorated players labored on courts at the fringes of Melbourne Park on Monday, Serena Williams made her Grand Slam tournament debut on Center Court against sixth-seeded Irina Spirlea.

Venus Williams played on center court in Monday night’s session.

The opening act was boffo. Ranked No. 53 but brimming with confidence, Serena Williams defeated ninth-ranked Spirlea, 6-7 (7-5), 6-3, 6-1. Serena will play the winner of the match between Venus Williams and Alexia Dechaume-Balleret. Should the heavily favored Venus Williams win, it would be the first time the sisters have been professional opponents.

“I just won my first match in my first Slam, so I’m pretty happy,” Serena said. “I hope Venus wins. It’ll be a good match.”

Venus Willians was on hand to watch a portion of her younger sister’s match, which could be viewed as familial support or blatant scouting.

Serena’s win involved a mild family grudge. Feisty Spirlea had impeded Venus Williams’ path during a changeover in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. Spirlea was fined for remarks she made after the incident.

That bump was shrugged off by Williams, but not others in her family. The sisters’ father, Richard Williams, called Spirlea a “big, tall white turkey.” He and Spirlea met afterward at a tournament and the Romanian offered to buy him a turkey sandwich.

The players’ actions during changeovers were given particular attention Monday, but both appeared deep in thought and scarcely noted the other.

Given the attention the U.S. Open incident engendered, Spirlea was asked what her thoughts were when she saw both Williams sisters in her path in the draw.

Spirlea drew a bead on the questioner, narrowed her eyes and said, “You want to know it? I don’t think so.”

She said she was tired during the match, played in unseasonably cool conditions. Fatigue hardly accounted for Spirlea’s seven double-faults and 43 unforced errors. Williams’ cool rarely betrayed her. She converted on 100% of her break-point opportunities.

Williams’ calm veneer broke after Spirlea netted a service return to give her the match. The teenager hopped around the court, flashing a megawatt smile and twirling her upraised fist.

Her reaching the point at which she is upsetting seeded players at a Grand Slam event has been swift. Williams began her pro career in 1995, losing her first match. She did not play on the tour in 1996 and entered only five events last year.

Still, with tennis’ rankings system, it’s not if you win but who you beat that counts. Williams was able to jump from No. 304 to No. 100 in 10 weeks last year on the strength of giant-killing capability.

Last week, she defeated three higher-ranked players, including third-ranked Lindsay Davenport.

Spirlea’s displeasure with her 0-2 record against the Williams family has caused her to blend the two sisters in her mind into a single, hard-hitting, bead-clacking blur.

“I think they are both playing the same,” Spirlea said. “It’s the same game.”

With both parents as coaches, the sisters have always practiced and traveled together. Richard Williams has consistently maintained that Serena would be the better player.

Still inexperienced and given to lapses, Serena Williams nonetheless has more potential than her hugely talented sister.

Venus is lanky. Serena is three inches shorter at 5 feet 10 and more solidly built. She is imposing and muscular and plays with a seriousness of intent that Venus only sometimes exhibits.

An early match tactic almost did Williams in. She stubbornly hit the ball to Spirlea’s deadly forehand, a move Williams attributed to pride. She held a 5-2 lead in the first set and had three set points, but was unable to sustain that level of play. She squandered three set points, and Spirlea broke for 4-5 with a backhand volley winner. Spirlea had little trouble winning the tiebreak.

Once Williams abandoned her forehand attack, she took charge of the match.

“I found an open door,” she said, “and I went through it.”