Venus, who won her fifth Wimbledon title by beating Serena 7-5, 6-4 Saturday, repeatedly hit big serves into Serena’s body to defeat her sister for the first time in three Wimbledon finals.
“I think that was her tactic, was to serve every ball into the body,” Serena said. “I’m glad she did it, because next time I know what to expect. I think I did good with getting them back.
“I think I got a lot of those in-the-body serves. ... But I know next time playing what to expect, and I’ll be even more ready for it.”
Serena beat Venus the first two times they met in the Wimbledon final, in 2002 and ’03, and led their head-to-head series in Grand Slam finals 5-1 going into the match on Centre Court. Chalk up another one for big sis, however, even though Serena jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first set.
“I just lost rhythm and then I just made a lot of errors,” Serena said. “I just couldn’t get the balls in. Nothing I was doing was seeming to work.”
The Williams sisters dominated tennis early in the decade, playing each other in six Grand Slam finals from 2001-03. Venus won the first one, at the 2001 U.S. Open, and Serena took the next five.
But all those matches playing against each other for major championships hasn’t made it any easier for Serena to play her older sister.
“I just look at her as another opponent at the end of the day,” said Serena, an eight-time Grand Slam champion. “I don’t think it’s harder, but it’s definitely not easier.”
Serena again went up a break in the second set Saturday but couldn’t hold on. After she hit a backhand wide on the second match point, Venus was muted in her celebrations.
“I’m definitely more in tune with my sister’s feelings because one of us has to win and one of us has to lose,” Venus said. “Of course the celebration isn’t as exciting because my sister just lost.”
Serena, glumly walking back to her chair to put on her trench coat, didn’t even notice what her sibling was doing.
“I didn’t see any celebration,” Serena said. “I just kind of went over to my chair, so ... I wasn’t paying attention.”
Serena was able to celebrate on Centre Court later Saturday, because she and Venus teamed to win the doubles title over Lisa Raymond of the United States and Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-2, 6-2.
After match point, Serena raised her arms and hugged Venus.
“Serena thinks everything is supposed to go her way, that’s the bottom line,” said her mother, Oracene Price, who sat in the players’ guest box for both matches. “She thinks that’s the way it’s supposed to go in life. But this is life.
“She’s going to have to learn how to suck things up,” Price added. “Say, ’OK, I’m not going to win everything. I just got to be, this is going to make me a better person, this will build character for myself and I have to learn how to lose.”’
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