Stay Signed In
Do you want to access your site more quickly on this computer? Check this box, and your username and password will be remembered for two weeks. Click logout to turn this off.
Stay Safe
Do not check this box if you are using a public computer. You don't want anyone seeing your personal info or messing with your site.
Venus Williams beat her younger sister Serena 7-5 6-4 to win her fifth Wimbledon trophy and seventh Grand Slam title in a dramatic final.
Venus bt Serena
Venus dreams of Navratilova's record
Venus Williams, who successfully defended the title for the second time in her career to claim her third Wimbledon trophy in four years, said she had mixed feelings about the victory.
"My first job is big sister and I take that very seriously," the
28-year-old Venus said after wrapping up the win in one hour
and 51 minutes.
The two women had faced off in six previous Grand Slam finals, including twice at the All England Club, with only their first such meeting at the 2001 US Open final going to Venus.
After breaking in the opening game of the match Serena looked to have the upper hand yet again, dominating the start of the opening set with her big groundstrokes and powerful first serve.
But the 26-year-old repeatedly failed to administer the killer blow to her older sister, missing out on four break points in the first set alone.
"She was a little bit better today and it didn't work out the way I planned," the sixth seeded Serena said after the match.
Venus relied on a bit of luck and a bit of generosity from her sibling in order to find her way back into the opening set.
First, the elder American held a nervy service game to deuce to keep the deficit to one break after a critical let cord went her way.
Then after the defending champion lingered in the set long enough to break back in the seventh game, a peculiar incident occurred in the ninth game whereby Serena accidentally yelled "no" in the middle of a point when the ball was still in play.
The umpire asked the two women to replay the point after the illegal shout, but Serena refused to do so giving the point and the 5-4 advantage to her older sister.
While Serena was careless on her break point chances Venus was clinical, the defending champion confirming on her first set point after a pair of unforced errors from the 26-year-old allowed her to break for the opener.
Venus also made a nervous start to the second set, being forced to save another break point, but held the opening game in the end with a Wimbledon record equalling 129mph service winner.
Serena was again able to put her sibling under tremendous strain in her very next service game, as Venus saved six break points in a 14-minute long marathon before finally surrendering the break after slipping to the grass on two consecutive points at the baseline.
The now seven-time Grand Slam champion struck straight back, however, capitalising on a pair of critical errors from Serena to break back and level the second set at 2-2.
The match then returned to a consistent pattern with the two women trading comfortable service games, until Venus broke again in the tenth to claim the title on her second championship point after Serena sent a backhand error well wide.
Women's Doubles Final with team Williams versus Hantuyama at the Oz Open 2009.
Women's Doubles : AUSSIE OPEN GRAND FINAL 2009 WINNERS
Venus & Serena Williams !
SERENA WILLIAMS SINGLES WINNER OF AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2009 !!!
Serena Williams - Interview Australian Open Final 2009
Serena Williams - The Highest Paid Female Sports Star In The World 2009
Serena Williams has vowed to get even fitter to ensure she can extend her career beyond the London Olympics in 2012.
The 27-year-old won her 11th grand slam title at Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon with a 7-6, 6-2 victory over her sister Venus on Centre Court.
Both players looked awesome on their march to the final as they dominated yet another major tournament.
The pair have won 18 grand slam titles between them as they continue to rule in the biggest events on the WTA Tour despite not holding the top positions in the rankings.
And with a group of young players including Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, threatening to shake up the established order, Williams believes she will have to work harder off the court to maintain her stranglehold until Wimbledon hosts the Olympic tennis event in three years.
“I want to play in 2012 and I am definitely working to get fitter so I can last longer and be out there for as long as I want to,” she said.
“I don't want to retire because I am not fit or because I can't physically do it any more. I feel really young and I think it helps that I haven't played every week on the Tour. That has elongated my career.
“I never worked out when I was younger. I just showed up at tournaments and maybe because I was young I could do that or maybe times have changed because even the young kids are working out now.
“There are a lot of players, mostly from Eastern Europe, who are doing well and have a solid game.
“There are people who challenge Venus and I but I feel if I play my best, its going to be really difficult for anyone to beat me.
“Not many people can always play their best and my challenge now is to be more consistent at a higher level.”
Venus Williams admitted that victory with sister Serena in the women's doubles was at least some consolation for defeat against her sibling in the singles.
The Williams girls, the fourth seeds, beat Australian third seeds Rennae Stubbs and Samantha Stosur 7-6, 6-4 to claim their fourth doubles title at the All England Club.
Venus said: “I wanted my name on a trophy and one out of two isn't bad. Doubles is huge for us because it is a grand slam and at the end of the day, when your name is by a grand slam, that number adds up.”
