July 7, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 25,1423

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LONDON, July 6: Not content with deposing older sister Venus as world number one Serena Williams spoilt the top seed’s dreams of a Wimbledon hat-trick at the All England Club on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Serena, the second seed, claimed her third Grand Slam title with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win in 78 minutes over 22-year-old Venus, who had been bidding to become just the third women in the Open Era to win three Wimbledon titles.

“I just tried to take it easy here because Venus is really hard to beat here, it was now or never,” said Serena whose best previous performance in her four attempts here was last year’s quarter-final.

“The tie-break was crucial. I tried to serve well but she wouldn’t stop running balls down.

“But to win here is really exciting,” she added clutching the champion’s trophy which is ironically called the Venus Rosewater dish.

Venus was gracious in defeat.

“She played the better shots. It’s a shame that I lost because this was where it all started for me. But at least I know I can take a look at the trophy from time to time.”

Less than a month after lifting her first French Open title against Venus at Roland Garros, Serena reaffirmed her status as the new world number one which she takes from Venus on Monday.

Serena, the 1999 US Open champion, is now just one Grand Slam win from joining the ranks of just eight women tennis greats who have won on all surfaces.

Her bid for a Grand Slam clean-up this year got off to a poor start when she had to pull out of the Australian Open with injury.

Venus won the first round of their battle when she successfully defended her US Open title last year, but has since been struggling to keep up with the pace of Serena, who dad Richard had always predicted would emerge as the better player.

Serena, who is now on a 19-match winning streak, had made no secret of her determination to become a member of the All England club.

She came out gunning for victory earning the first break of the match following an untimely double fault by Venus in the third game.

But then the younger sister doubled faults at break point to allow Venus to draw level again 2-2 in the next game.

A costly double fault in the fifth game handed Serena a break point once again which she converted when Venus hit into the net.

But Venus hit back coming from 30-love down in the ninth game when Serena was serving for the set, forcing errors from her younger sister to break back drawing level 5-5.

A frustated Serena slammed down her racket as Venus shifted the momentum back holding her serve to love. Serena replied in just the same fashion forcing a tie-break which she won 7-4 on her second set point which surprisingly umpire Jane Harvey had called a let, but neither player heard.

Serena kept the pressure up in the second set breaking in the sixth game, but a worried-looking Venus put up a fight and broke back straight away to 3-4. Serena broke again, stealing her nerve serving for the title to love and taking the title on her first match point.

The power of her game was just too much slamming down four aces compared to just one by the normally dominant Venus who hit just 11 winners compared to 16 for Serena, and had six double faults to Serena’s two.

Venus had been bidding to emulate Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova by completing a hat-trick but looked a shadow of herself.

Serena has come back unbeatable from injury winning her fifth title this year and becoming just the third women to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

But Venus is still one ahead with four Grand Slam titles and 25 WTA titles to Serena’s 16.

The sisters take home a total of 729,000 pounds between them from the final - Serena winning 486,000 pounds and Venus 243,000 - a far cry from the previous sisters to play the final in Wimbledon in 1884.

Maud Watson beat sister Lilian 6-8, 6-3, 6-3 in the 1884 final and won a silver flower basket worth 21 guineas, while Lilian took home a silver brush and a glass hand mirror worth 11 guineas.—AFP