MELBOURNE, 19 December 2003 — After half a year away from tennis, all signs are that the Williams sisters — Serena and Venus — will front up for the Australian Open in January.
Tournament boss Paul McNamee has confirmed that entries from the pair of former world No. 1 siblings have been received. The two last played in a Wimbledon final won by Serena.
Since last summer, the Americans have been missing from the WTA Tour, Serena after undergoing knee surgery in August and Venus with an abdominal strain which she picked up in the spring. Serena, defending champion at the Open, is also due to play the Hopman Cup teams event in Perth at the start of the year, combining again with James Blake in a title defense.
Venus is also reported as committing to the Pan Pacific in Tokyo the week after the Jan. 19 to Feb. 1 Open, an event she has pulled out of in the past without explanation.
Meanwhile, Australian Davis Cup doubles standout Wayne Arthurs will need to throw himself on the mercy of the wild card committee is he’s to have a place in the singles draw at the year’s first Grand Slam.
The 32-year-old has a singles ranking of only 117, outside the 104 who gain automatic entry.
