VENUS Williams is just about the perfect older sibling: She supports Serena endlessly, protects her fiercely, and even lets her little sister pick which bedroom she wants when they're on the road.
Venus draws the line at Grand Slam championships.
The American sisters will come up against each other again in a major final, clashing today in the Wimbledon title match for the fourth time.
The sisters' domination is a curious phenomenon. Take those two out of the equation, and there is not one other player from the United States in the world top 50. The next in line is Bethanie Mattek-sands at 57, and to put her position into context, the British No1, Anne Keothavong, is ranked six places higher. But this is of little consequence to the Williams sisters, who are more concerned about each other right now.
"The more we play, the better it gets," Serena said. "When we play our match on Saturday, it's for everything. This is what we dreamed of when we were growing up in Compton (Los Angeles] 20-something years ago. This is what we worked for, and this is what we want."
After reaching her eighth final at the All England Club by routing top-ranked Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0, Venus said: "I'm happy for her to be in the final, but I have to face her and defeat her. I don't necessarily want her to lose, but for sure I want me to win."
Venus should have the edge on the new Centre Court, which has a retractable roof over it for the first time in history. Besides having won five Wimbledon titles, Venus also beat Serena in last year's final and is trying to become the first woman to win three straight championships since Steffi Graf from 1991-3.
"Even if she's not playing her best, just that fight she has, you're facing that," Venus said. "So there's so much to face when you play her. It's definitely a lot to get your mind around."
Serena showed her fight on Thursday, saving a match point against Elena Dementieva before winning 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6. The match, longer than any Wimbledon women's semi-final in at least 40 years, was one of the most exciting of this year's tournament. But if that was tough, wait until Serena faces an opponent that has won 20 consecutive matches on Wimbledon's manicured lawns – the last 17 in straight sets.
"You know, it's not the easiest opponent on grass," Serena said. "I hope I win. Obviously, if I do, I'll be really, really excited. So we'll see."
Off the court, the sisters often share an apartment when they come to Wimbledon, and sibling rivalry doesn't really come into play when it comes time to choosing who gets the better room.
"I always defer. She picks first," said Venus, noting that back home in Florida their rooms are the same size. "It makes me happy. You know, I want her to pick."
On the court, things get more intense when they're on opposite sides of the net. "I feel very calm actually," said Venus, who is 2-5 against Serena in Grand Slam finals. "But, of course, I'm going to bring the tough feet to the court."
She added: "This is my eighth final. It's a dream come true to be here again and to have the opportunity to hold the plate up. Dinara is so talented and she has played so consistently in the last year. I went out there and was able to stay focused. I have so much experience on that court, it helps a lot."
Venus would have been forgiven for losing her focus after watching Serena come through a thrilling battle with Dementieva. "It was so hard to watch that drama," she admitted. "But the hardest part is yet to come: to play Serena Williams."
Even though Serena beat Venus in the 2002 and 2003 Wimbledon finals, she already feels like the underdog against a player trying to win her sixth Venus Rosewater Dish.
"I feel like going into this final I have nothing to lose," said Serena, who is 27 years old, two years younger than Venus. "I feel like obviously she's playing the best tennis at this tournament."
The match will pit two players with two of the best serves on tour, and both had them working pretty well in the semi-finals. Venus holds the tour record for fastest serve at 208kph (129mph), though she had only five aces against Safina. Serena, however, smacked a tournament-high 20 aces against Dementieva.
"I definitely owe this win to my serve," Serena said of her win over the fourth-seeded Russian. "I lost serve a couple times, but when it was key and it was time for me to hold serve, I was able to hold serve."
Against each other, there are no secrets. The sisters have been coached by their father, Richard, and mother, Oracene Price, since the beginning, and they know each other's strengths inside and out.
"We both play such a similar game. I mean, we had the same teacher," Venus said. "But what I can tell you the same is the respect that we have for each other on and off the court is the same."
Serena, with ten major titles has three more than her sister, is looking for another victory at the All England Club. "I'm just happy to have gotten this far," Serena said. "You know, hopefully I can do one more."
However, punters at William Hill punters are putting their pounds on a Venus victory at 8/11, with Hills reporting five-figure liabilities on Venus to win in two sets at 2/1. Hills are 5/1 that the Williams sisters will once again contest the Wimbledon final in 2010.
"The one bet that is proving popular is Venus to win in straight sets," said Hills spokesman Rupert Adams.
The full article contains 1015 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
