“Chill” Serena helps Venus reach last eight in Cincinnati

Venus Williams may have been down a set in her third-round match at the Western & Southern Open, but she had extra incentive to hit reset and continue pushing forward. With younger sister Serena in her box providing a needed boost of support, the American rallied to defeat Donna Vekic, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

“Honestly, she seemed pretty calm and chill. I think she believed in me,” an upbeat Venus said about Serena in her press conference Thursday.

“She was rooting hard but didn't seem panicked at all after I lost the first set. Maybe didn't play the best games [in] the beginning of the first and second [sets]. I thought if she can be chill, I can be chill.”

AP Images.

While Venus is targeting her first title in more than 3.5 years (Kaohsiung, Taiwan), she’s also keeping her eye out for video content inspiration this week in Mason, OH. Earlier this year, Venus launched her own YouTube channel and has rolled out three Vlog episodes over the past month.

“I saw laser tag when I was getting off the highway. Fun. Maybe I'll get there. Some cross-training,” said Venus.

In Friday’s featured night match, the 39-year-old will square off against countrywoman Madison Keys. The two have split their four prior meetings, with Keys holding a 2-1 edge on hard courts.