Richard Williams dreamed of this night but he won’t watch any of it. With tears in his eyes, Papa Williams told reporters he is leaving town by this morning, flying back to Florida. He will not put on the television at 8 p.m.

His sensational daughters, Serena and Venus square off tonight in the U.S. Open Finals, the first Grand Slam championship to feature two sisters since the Wimbledon finals in 1884.

“I will not be here,” Papa Williams said. “I don’t think any person in their right mind would want to see their kids out there in an arena fighting like hell against each other.”