Professional athletes in most sports start to slow down after the age of 35. Some retire. Jamaican Olympic runner Usain Bolt has talked about retiring, for example. He is only 30 years old. But on Thursday, Serena Williams earned a spot in the Australian Open finals. She will face her older sister, Venus, who won her semifinal match a day earlier. It is the first time the Williams sisters will play in a “Grand Slam” final since 2009. Venus is 36. Serena is 35. One older champion will play in the men’s final, too. Roger Federer qualified for the final by defeating Stan Wawrinka. Federer, like Serena Williams, is 35 years old. It will be one of the sport’s oldest tournament finals in a long time. Ken Rosewall of Australia is the oldest winner of a Grand Slam. He was 37 when he won the Australian Open in 1972. Serena Williams is already the oldest winner of a women’s Grand Slam tournament. She won Wimbledon last year at the age of 34. Many people are impressed that three of the finalists are 35 or older. All of the players have recently had injuries. Federer missed six months due to back and knee injuries. He told the crowd that he did not think he would be able to make it back to a Grand Slam final. “If I can’t walk for another five months, that’s okay,” he said. The Williams sisters have had difficulties, too. Earlier this month, Venus won a match in New Zealand but withdrew from the tournament after hurting her arm. She also learned in 2011 she had the immune system disorder called Sjogren’s syndrome. The disorder kept her from practicing and staying in good physical condition for a number of years. Serena took time off to recover from knee and shoulder injuries after losing in the semifinals of the U.S. Open last September. It is the ninth time the sisters will face each other in a major tournament finals. Serena has defeated her sister six of those times. If she wins, Serena will beat Steffi Graff’s record for the most Grand Slam titles ever in women’s tennis.
Title: Federer, Williams Sisters Set Up 'Old Folks' Finals in Australia
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/aus_open.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Federer, Williams Sisters Set Up 'Old Folks' Finals in Australia' data-article-id='2168'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8667'>Professional athletes in most sports start to slow down after the age of 35.</span> <span data-start-time='8667' data-end-time='11396'>Some retire.</span> <span data-start-time='11396' data-end-time='19313'>Jamaican Olympic runner Usain Bolt has talked about retiring, for example.</span> <span data-start-time='19313' data-end-time='22333'>He is only 30 years old.</span> <span data-start-time='22333' data-end-time='30375'>But on Thursday, Serena Williams earned a spot in the Australian Open finals.</span> <span data-start-time='30375' data-end-time='39250'>She will face her older sister, Venus, who won her semifinal match a day earlier.</span> <span data-start-time='39250' data-end-time='47938'>It is the first time the Williams sisters will play in a “Grand Slam” final since 2009. </span> <span data-start-time='47938' data-end-time='51042'>Venus is 36.</span> <span data-start-time='51042' data-end-time='54042'>Serena is 35.</span> <span data-start-time='54042' data-end-time='59458'>One older champion will play in the men’s final, too.</span> <span data-start-time='59458' data-end-time='66333'>Roger Federer qualified for the final by defeating Stan Wawrinka.</span> <span data-start-time='66333' data-end-time='72104'>Federer, like Serena Williams, is 35 years old.</span> <span data-start-time='72104' data-end-time='78792'>It will be one of the sport’s oldest tournament finals in a long time.</span> <span data-start-time='78792' data-end-time='85042'>Ken Rosewall of Australia is the oldest winner of a Grand Slam.</span> <span data-start-time='85042' data-end-time='91292'>He was 37 when he won the Australian Open in 1972.</span> <span data-start-time='91292' data-end-time='97042'>Serena Williams is already the oldest winner of a women’s Grand Slam tournament.</span> <span data-start-time='97042' data-end-time='102667'>She won Wimbledon last year at the age of 34.</span> <span data-start-time='102667' data-end-time='110125'>Many people are impressed that three of the finalists are 35 or older.</span> <span data-start-time='110125' data-end-time='114167'>All of the players have recently had injuries.</span> <span data-start-time='114167' data-end-time='120896'>Federer missed six months due to back and knee injuries.</span> <span data-start-time='120896' data-end-time='128208'>He told the crowd that he did not think he would be able to make it back to a Grand Slam final.</span> <span data-start-time='128208' data-end-time='134250'>“If I can’t walk for another five months, that’s okay,” he said.</span> <span data-start-time='134250' data-end-time='138708'>The Williams sisters have had difficulties, too.</span> <span data-start-time='138708' data-end-time='148292'>Earlier this month, Venus won a match in New Zealand but withdrew from the tournament after hurting her arm.</span> <span data-start-time='148292' data-end-time='156896'>She also learned in 2011 she had the immune system disorder called Sjogren’s syndrome.</span> <span data-start-time='156896' data-end-time='164125'>The disorder kept her from practicing and staying in good physical condition for a number of years.</span> <span data-start-time='164125' data-end-time='175792'>Serena took time off to recover from knee and shoulder injuries after losing in the semifinals of the U.S. Open last September.</span> <span data-start-time='175792' data-end-time='183646'>It is the ninth time the sisters will face each other in a major tournament finals.</span> <span data-start-time='183646' data-end-time='189563'>Serena has defeated her sister six of those times.</span> <span data-start-time='189563' data-end-time='199875'>If she wins, Serena will beat Steffi Graff’s record for the most Grand Slam titles ever in women’s tennis.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/aus_open.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=8012 data-hint-location='72104' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/what_does_tournament_mean.m4a'>What does tournament mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a sports competition'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/playing_tennis.m4a'><span>playing tennis</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/running_a_race.m4a'><span>running a race</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/a_sports_injury.m4a'><span>a sports injury</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/a_sports_competition.m4a'><span>a sports competition</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=8013 data-hint-location='39250' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/what_will_the_williams_sisters_play.m4a'>What will the Williams sisters play?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a grand slam final'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/a_swimming_match.m4a'><span>a swimming match</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/with_an_injury.m4a'><span>with an injury</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/a_retirement_party.m4a'><span>a retirement party</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/a_grand_slam_final.m4a'><span>a grand slam final</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=8014 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/athletes_in_most_sports_start_to__blank__after_the_age_of_35.m4a'>Athletes in most sports start to <span class='blank'>slow down</span> after the age of 35.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='slow down'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/win_games.m4a'><span>win games</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/get_injured.m4a'><span>get injured</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/slow_down.m4a'><span>slow down</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1649/improve.m4a'><span>improve</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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