WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — The purple "W” logo at Wimbledon might as well stand for the siblings who
have made the women’s championship their own playground. Yes, the Williams sisters are back in the
Wimbledon final.
Venus and Serena Williams won in contrasting fashion Thursday to set up their fourth all-sister Wimbledon
final and eighth meeting in a Grand Slam title match.
Two-time champion Serena saved a match point and overcame Elena Dementieva 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6 in 2 hours,
49 minutes — the longest women’s semifinal at Wimbledon in at least 40 years. Five-time winner Venus,
meanwhile, needed only 51 minutes to demolish Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0 and reach her eighth Wimbledon
final.
"Oh, my God, this is my eighth final, and it’s a dream come to true to be here again and have the
opportunity to hold the plate up," Venus said.
The sisters — with 17 Grand Slam titles between them — will face each other Saturday in a Fourth of July
final.
"A fourth final — it’s so exciting. It was so hard before my match to watch all that drama,"
Venus said, referring to Serena’s semifinal. "It was so difficult. But the hardest part is next to
come, to play Serena Williams."
One Williams or the other has won seven of the past nine championships at the All England Club. Serena
beat Venus in the 2002 and ’03 finals, and Venus came out on top against her younger sister last year.
"All I know is a Williams is going to win," said the sisters’ father, Richard.
Venus is bidding to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win Wimbledon three years in a
row.
There have been seven previous all-Williams championship matches at majors, with Serena holding a 5-2
lead. Overall, the sisters are 10-10.
"The more we play, the better it gets," Serena said. "Wen we play our match on Saturday,
you know, it’s for everything. This is what we dreamed of when we were growing up in Compton (Calif.)
20-something years ago. This is what we worked for, and this is what we want. Like I wanted her to win
today and she wanted me to win today. It’s all come down to this."
Venus said she was rooting for Serena to win Thursday, but will now do all she can to stop her sister and
win her eighth major title.
"I’m happy for her to be in the final, but I have to face her and defeat her," Venus said.
"I don’t necessarily want her to lose, but for sure I want me to win. I don’t want to see myself
disappointed. I need to get my titles, too. I’m still the big sister, but I’m still going to play great
tennis."
