New York - As they edge towards a potential crowd-pleasing semi-final sister-showdown at the US Open, Venus and Serena Williams are keeping their minds fresh and uncluttered with plans for more shopping. Like much else in their lives, conspicuous consumption is something of a competitor sport for the seeded pair of young millionaires.
"We kind of compete, try to run through the store and compete to find the best outfit," confessed Venus, aiming for her place in the final four against Serb third seed Jelena Jankovic. "If it doesn't fit the other then we switch.
"Sometime we try on something that looks terrible and we try it on just for jokes. We come out looking horrible and we laugh and take pictures, so it's funny.
"We went the first week. I put on jeans and a T-shirt and went to her changing room and she had on a dress. She looks so good and I went and put a dress on.
"I started looking good too - we do the sister thing."
Williams says that she and her sibling manage to get out and about in New York without too much interference from the public.
But there is the occasional exception: "The other day the bus driver jumped out of the bus. Stopped the bus, jumped out, and was running.
"That day, like everybody was seeing me. It just depends sometimes."
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NOTEBOOK: Hingis catches headlights of the new tennis generation =
New York - With the wisdom of her 26 years, Martina Hingis can see the headlights of the new tennis generation bearing down on her and her game at the US Open.
Said the former teenaged prodigy who won three of the four Grand Slam titles in a phenomenal 1997 season: "They are very dangerous. I knew it's not going to be easy," said the seed dismissed by 18-year-old Victoria Azarenka in the third round.
"With all of these girls, you never know what to expect sometimes. So far we have been able to hold them back, but seems like they have improved.
"And this year especially there's a new group of youngsters coming up."
