Wimbledon - Venus beats Serena for fifth title

Eurosport - Sun, 06 Jul 07:39:00 2008

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.

TENNIS 2008 Wimbledon Williams S. - Williams V. Venus Williams - 0

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.

Jeremy Stahl / Eurosport

Comment 82 - 101 of 101

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  1. Venus, congratulation for your fifth wimbledon title! You show your consistency during the game although it must battle against your sister and seems that you have a lot of memories there to motivate you reaching the title. I love to see both of you and your sister play in the next US Open. Evi Oktaviana, Graz-Austria.

    From Evi O, on Wed 9 Jul 12:40PM
  2. I think everybody with any sense needs to stop fueling these people who want to make comments about 2 women who are champions in their own right in a sport where it means you have made it if you make it into the top 150. With 700 people playing the sport professionally or semi professionally you do have to be very special to get where they have. If they grunt, shout, scream or are "unfluid" in their tennis, they have earnt the right to. To those narrow minded people out there, time to now SHUT IT

    From jnkwest, on Mon 7 Jul 10:02PM
  3. I like Williams sisters and their tennis.I don't want to watch two players pushing the ball over the net for hours waiting for the other one to make the mistake or barely pushing the serves into the service box.I love the fact that there is more power in womens tennis,it has made it more popular and watchable.
    Most players these days play the same.I actually think most of them have the ability to play different types of shoots but don't.I also think that the way these players are trained at the very young age is the reason.They are not encouraged to use all the shots,if you see the players that were for example coached at Bollitieri(not shore about spelling but you know who I mean)-they play the same-have great baseline game,have lot of success but just not encouraged by coaches who work there to use more of their skills.I also think that Williams sisters could play at the net more-have great approach shots and serve to take them there.

    From honeybeecro7, on Mon 7 Jul 8:57PM
  4. good game gurls go on doin ur tin

    From Derrick P, on Mon 7 Jul 6:02PM
  5. Oh....what anice day. There was no match fixing,it was afantastic game between two proffesionals.. and the best emerge... like every other game...am in love with the two sister and am happy to see both of them at the top.

    VENUS AND SERENA... you are grate indid ,keep it up.
    from AYEGBA EMMANUEL

    From emma_ayegba1, on Mon 7 Jul 1:29PM
  6. there both men!

    From ricky_everist, on Mon 7 Jul 12:47PM
  7. i say lewis hamilton is not a top f1 driver, but the williams sisters are the best,yes they are the greatist, and so it proves that i am not a racist

    From barrie c, on Mon 7 Jul 7:43AM
  8. I wish to smypatise with the young man for degrading my Williams Champs. But I suppose that is the price some mothers have to bear. Nevertheless, I wish and hope tha tGod's Blessing be upon them and that they will contiue to do good wherever they take up a racket.

    From nuffheart, on Mon 7 Jul 4:41AM
  9. haaaaaaa the two sister make africa number one in the continet

    From man.skelly, on Sun 6 Jul 8:49PM
  10. dougie72 wrote
    "no offence if it was two white people of the same family playing in the final I'd object, it should be made a rule that if siblings, white, black, green, or purple win through, they should meet in the semi finals... The cup was going to be on the williams table at the end of the night regardless of who won it."

    First of all that is probably the worst suggestion I've read on this thread. And second, it defeats the whole purpose of the sport ( and any sport). Are you saying they should change the rules to spite the sisters???
    If anything the other players need to pick up their game. You cant change the draw because of names, they have the seeding system for a reason you donut. And as for the fix allegation, as a fan I've watched plenty of Williams Vs Williams matches ( semis and finals), and at the start Venus was the dominant one, and after a few years it was Serena, and now its shifted back to Venus - simple.
    At the present time she is the undisputed CHAMPION of wimbeldon (remember that she beat Sharapova to win last year, its not always her sister).
    Watch more sport and less skirts then come back with a (much more) sensible proposal!

    From The football genius, on Sun 6 Jul 8:03PM
  11. The William sisters are succeeding because they are not a product of pub, drinks and knife society coupled with good parenting. They are the best and I see them hanging around for a while because their likely challengers are afraid to compete. Women prize money should be more than men if just for the sisters and their power of play. Imagine hitting the ball at 129mph, how many men have equalled that.

    From rawlings u, on Sun 6 Jul 6:20PM
  12. Paul Gray, Oh Paul Gray are you upset? are you crying into your mouse and keyboard? Do you want a toffee? poor you....

    to ddickzim, your name sums you up a complete dick...

    From danluckylarry, on Sun 6 Jul 5:32PM
  13. Venus deserves every credit for completing a monumental task of Womens Wimbledon. Winning the singles and the Doubles. She won and played fairly as every individual has done in competing and although allot harder for African American women to enter the sport, it's tragic that negative people wish to put her talent and her sister at any given opportunity, down! Its much of the British media coverage that hasn't been fiar in their coverage of the sisters since winning. Even ITV, the Guardian, and other british media choose NOT to make Venus Williams Top headline news. Watch the Headline for Sunday. It's probably the British JUNIOR winner Laura Robson. Although Britain are desperate for a winner of anything, for Tennis, Laura doesn't even count!

    From blackadeus, on Sun 6 Jul 12:25PM
  14. Get a life!!!Please stop these ridiculous comments..How can anyone even think about criticising such immense talent....A fantastic ladies final...

    From ianmosley, on Sun 6 Jul 11:27AM
  15. if it was two white british sisters or brothers that gets to the finals we would not get all this haters wishing them bad.

    From abi e, on Sun 6 Jul 9:59AM
  16. yay venus wins

    From p.johnson.destiny, on Sun 6 Jul 7:51AM
  17. Why are we talking about a fixed match. If you were going to fix a match surely you would use all three sets not just 2.
    Why has racism crept into this discussion, I am white and all I saw was two tennis players, playing tennis who just happened to be black.
    So can we drop the racism from both sides.

    From CLIFFORD, on Sun 6 Jul 7:49AM
  18. Serena and Venus Rule. I hop they come back and do it over n over n over again. certainly no fixing coz sibling rivalry is great than anythin, even Sampras n Agassi

    From washy g, on Sun 6 Jul 6:49AM
  19. welcome to the new era of bouncing kopek hitam.
    venus..congrats,keep your perpendicular kopek away from injuries.
    lubang hidung besar helps to improve oxygen circulations enabling better and precise cross-court volley!!

    From shirock79, on Sun 6 Jul 4:52AM
  20. I don't blame anybody but DEMENTIAVA for that outrageous comments about the Williams sisters before the finals. If she couldn't beat Venus then she has no point commenting on the sisters in the finals. Shear jealousy, and those of you making noise should shup up,we can read into the racist remarks you have been making,that white supremacy nonsense should end now and applaud the Williams for their achievement.

    From Wilfred E, on Sun 6 Jul 4:26AM
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