Israel Saria
Eurosport
Serena Williams beat her sister Venus in straight sets 7-6 6-2 to clinch her third Wimbledon singles crown on a packed Centre Court.
The victory was the number two seed’s third victory over her sister in a final at SW19, and came in convincing fashion after a first set tie-break.
Serena stepped up her intensity to devastating effect in the breaker, and clinched it 7-3 with Venus clearly taken aback by her sisters’ sudden surge of momentum.
The second set was comprehensively won by the world number two, and after breaking her sister’s serve in the sixth game, she compounded her misery by closing out the match with a second.
29-year-old Venus had hoped to secure a coveted sixth Wimbledon singles crown, but could not match the power or conviction of her sister.
The sisters went into the match with their head-to-head record tied at 10-10, but with Venus possessing a superior record at the All England Club.
From four contests in Wimbledon finals, the 27-year-old Serena has now won three, with her previous wins back in 2002 and 2003, and in the process she reversed last year’s result.
The standard of serving was exemplary in the opening set, with both sisters finding their rhythm and backing the deliveries up with fierce forehands.
Indeed, Venus looked the more dominant from the outset with an array of fearsome forehands driven down the line as Serena scrambled to remain on terms at the back of the court.
Serena fought off two break points after a thunderous backhand down the line gave Venus the ascendency, but the second seed held her composure to hold.
After stemming the early tide of pressure exerted from her sister, Serena began to take a foothold, and as the set developed, she grew in stature.
A first set tie-break was forced after Serena held serve under pressure, and she carried her momentum through to seize the initiative and hold four set points after she out-powered her sister.
Venus saved the first set point, and surged into the net to apply pressure to Serena’s backhand side, but she unleashed a sublime lob to seal the set with a real flourish.
The second set was equally impressive in terms of the clinical serving coming from both sisters, and the first five games passed without drama.
The sixth game saw a notable implosion from Venus, who suddenly began to look vulnerable to her serve being attacked, and she capitulated under the pressure put on it.
Serena capitalised on some hesitant serving from her sister, who lost her certainty, and the world number two slammed two forehands down the line to force a crucial break.
Serving to stay in the match at 5-2 down, Venus conceded three Championship points and saved each, with Serena unable to convert her advantage.
During an extended deuce, Serena drove a regulation backhand into the net to squander a fourth, as her impatience to clinch victory took its toll.
Venus simply could not find the added level she required to test her sister as the pressure continued to grow, and she found the net with a backhand to finally give her sister victory.
Serena has now won 11 Grand Slam titles and holds the Wimbledon, Australian and US Open crowns.
The Williams sisters face Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs in the ladies’ doubles final later on Centre Court.
Dan Quarrell / Eurosport
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