Day 11

WHAT A SERENADE!

Serena Williams clinched her third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam crown with a 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory over sister Venus, the defending champion, here on Saturday. The victory added to her 2002 and 2003 wins at the All England Club and shattered Venus’s hopes of a hat-trick of titles and sixth overall which would have taken her level with Billie Jean King.

Saturday’s final was the fourth all-Williams title match-up at Wimbledon and eighth in all Grand Slams with the win giving Serena the edge in head-tohead meetings at 11-10. Serve dominated the first set with 27-year-old Serena fighting off the only two break points in the eighth game and it was the younger of the two sisters who seized control of the tiebreak. Serena went to three set points by forcing Venus to scramble from side to side before putting away a powerful crosscourt forehand.

Venus saved the first set point but was powerless when a pinpoint lob from her sister left her stranded at the net. It was the first set Venus had dropped at Wimbledon since the third round in 2007, a run of 34 consecutive winning sets. Serena, who had saved match point in her marathon semifinal win over Elena Dementieva, carved out her first set point when Venus double-faulted to hand her a 4-2 lead and revenge for last year’s final defeat to her sister looked likely. Second seed Serena held to love, backedup by her 12th ace of the match, to lead 5-2. She then wasted three match points in the eighth game but clinched the title when Venus netted with a forehand.


EYEING HISTORY

Roger Federer will attempt to write a new chapter in tennis history on Sunday when he targets a record 15th Grand Slam title by beating Wimbledon comeback kid Andy Roddick. Five-time champion Federer is playing in a seventh straight Wimbledon final, and a record 20th Grand Slam title match, where victory will take him past Pete Sampras’ mark of 14 majors he equalled with his French Open win in June.

Roddick, desperate for a second major to add to his 2003 US Open title, has been here before, losing the 2004 and 2005 All-England Club finals to Federer. “I’m very proud of all the records I’ve achieved, because I never thought I would be that successful as a kid,” said Federer, who lost his five-year grip on the title to Rafael Nadal here last year.

“I would have been happy winning a couple tournaments and maybe collecting Wimbledon, achieving the dream scenario.” “It’s quite staggering. Having so many things going for me now again, it’s fantastic.”

The form book favours Federer, who has won a staggering 18 of his 20 match-ups with Roddick.

But having seen off Tommy Haas in straight sets to reach the final, Federer is aware of the danger posed by a rejuvenated Roddick, who ended Andy Murray’s bid to become Britain’s first men’s Wimbledon champion in 73 years.

The 26-year-old American’s four-set, semifinal win put him into a first Grand Slam final in three years and it was achieved with a clever mix of trademark big serves, fierce groundstrokes and a composed performance at the net. Federer is aware of Roddick’s gifts. “I’ve played him 20 times, so I’ve had plenty of time to study his game, to understand his game,” he said.

“He’s always played me also quite differently every single time I’ve played him. In the beginning of his career, I remember back in 2003, he was sometimes standing way back on the return.” “But then I played him one year and he chipped and charged a lot, and came to the net a lot. I’ve also played him when he’s serve and volleyed first and second serve almost.”

“I’ve had many different looks against Roddick. I enjoy how he leaves everything out on the court. I can only marvel at how incredible his serve is. I like playing against him, not only just because of the record.” Roddick believes his decision to hire veteran coach Larry Stefanki has paid dividends. “He’s certainly is well-studied. He kind of picks the right times to discuss stuff. It doesn’t feel monotonous. It’s not always the same time that he picks and chooses to talk about an upcoming match,” said the American.