Serena Williams and sister Venus took their third doubles title at the Australian Open and eighth Grand Slam title as a combination Thursday, defeating Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and Japan’s Ai Sugiyama, who lost 6-3, 6-3 as they dodged a flurry of zingers at the net. “I just wouldn’t want to face them too much. They are ferocious,” Serena said of her taller sister’s fireballs. And she ought to know, because the dynamic duo have faced off against each other seven times in Grand Slam singles finals. “She’s covering the whole net. At one point today, I literally stood back and she took care of everything,” Serena said.

Sisters snatch gold medal for tennis doubles.

Venus and Serena Williams have proved they’re twice as nice after being eliminated from Olympics singles competition last week. The sisters captured a gold medal in the doubles tournament on Sunday after beating Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2, 6-0. “I’m so excited, I can’t even speak,” Venus says. “To share this kind of moment with your sister, it never grows old.”