PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA

By BETH HARRIS

AP Sports Writer

Venus Williams has defeated younger sister Serena 6-3 6-4 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, her first win in the sibling rivalry since 2014.

It was the sisters’ earliest meeting since a 17-year-old Venus beat 16-year-old Serena in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. They played Monday night (Tuesday NZT) for the first time since last year’s Australian Open final, when a pregnant Serena won her 23rd grand slam title.

Venus closed out the match on her second match point when Serena’s forehand service return sailed long. It was one of Serena’s 41 unforced errors, including 17 on the forehand side.

Serena still owns a 17-12 advantage overall, although Venus evened their WTA Tour head-to-head meetings at 7-7.

“I really abhor every time we play, but I do enjoy the battle when I’m out there,” Serena said last weekend. “It’s just afterwards I don’t like it as much.”

Venus Williams returns a shot to her opponent and sister Serena at BNP Paribas Open.

It was obvious at the net when they greeted each other with a one-arm hug and neither smiled. Venus did her usual victory pirouette, but still didn’t smile.

A stone-faced Serena exited the court to cheers, pointing her right index finger in the air.

Serena was back on the WTA Tour for the first time since ending a 14-month absence during which she gave birth to daughter Alexis Jr. and married Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, who sat courtside.

Typically, the sisters wouldn’t meet until the later rounds of a tournament. But 36year-old Serena was unseeded in this event. Venus, 37, is seeded eighth.

Serena won her first two matches, while Venus received a first-round bye and won her opening match.

The Indian Wells match was 17 years in the making.

The sisters were supposed to play each other in the Californian desert in 2001. A packed stadium awaited their semifinal but shortly before the match was to begin Venus withdrew with a right knee injury.

Serena went on to play Kim Clijsters in the final. Venus and her father Richard were greeted with boos as they made their way to their seats, with some fans believing Richard had been behind Venus’ withdrawal.

Richard Williams said he heard racial slurs from the crowd and he paused to shake his fist at them. Serena was booed throughout the final before she beat Clijsters in three sets for her second title in the desert.

After that, the sisters boycotted Indian Wells for 14 years. Serena came back in 2015 only to withdraw with a knee injury before her semifinal, and Venus followed the next year.

Both sisters have been greeted warmly by fans each time they’ve played here since that turbulent time.