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From The Archives: Covering Serena Williams Through the Years

The New York Times has followed Serena Williams’s career since 1990, when she was an 8-year-old in Compton, Calif. Here are excerpts from The Times’s coverage of some of her significant moments at Grand Slam events.

Jan. 19, 1998

On a Collision Course

With a Best Friend

MELBOURNE, Australia — They are the hottest novelty act in this tennis-crazed city, and the act heated up on schedule today at the Australian Open.

Serena Williams, 16, pulled off a major opening-day upset to set up a possible second-round match with her 17-year-old sister, Venus.