Sisterly love may be a beautiful concept, but it doesn’t work on the tennis court for Venus and Serena. At least not until the post-match embrace. They go at each other in their intramural battles in a manner that leaves the rest of their colleagues shocked and awed.
Venus, owner of 5 Wimbledon titles, wasn’t up to it this year, but the prize stayed in the family – the 8th for the Williams clan as Serena cashed in, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2. It was also Serena’s 11th major singles to Venus’s 7, and gives Little Sister a 11-10 head-to-head edge.
When Venus failed to capitalize on 2 break points in the 8th game, her chances became slim. Serena served her way to 4-4, including 2 of her 12 aces, played a strong tie-breaker (ending with a nifty backhanded lob), and rattled off the last 4 games. Her 72 aces overall are a tourney record.
Venus’s aching left knee held her back, although she wouldn’t admit it. The knee was good enough to handle 6 previous foes – but not Serena. Unluckily for Venus, Serena hung in the tournament barely, dodging a semifinal match point against Elena Dementieva.
The sisters know each other so well. Those hooked aces of Serena’s, wide to the to the forehand court, were no mystery to Venus. She just couldn’t move well enough to apprehend them.
Not long afterwards, sisterly love, put on hold for singles, was restored as they beat Aussies Rennae Stubbs and Samantha Stosur for the doubles championship, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.
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