Serena Williams Beats Sister Venus at Wimbledon

Serena Williams holds the championship trophy, after defeating her sister Venus to win the women's singles final on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

(AP)

She wasted her first three match points, before Venus dropped a backhand into the net on the fourth. Serena closed her eyes, rolled her head back and dropped to her knees.

She lost Wimbledon finals to Maria Sharapova in 2004, and to her sister last year, and really wanted to end her six-year gap without a title from this tournament. Her trophy in tow — it's called, coincidentally, the Venus Rosewater Dish — Serena went to check out the board that lists Wimbledon's champions. She ran her fingers over all of those references to "S. Williams" and "V. Williams" in gold type on a green background — eight of the past 10 years, one or the other appears.

"Actually, I felt like my name should have been there at least once more," she said. "At least I got in another one."

She almost didn't. In the semifinals Friday, Serena was one point from losing to No. 4 Elena Dementieva, before coming back. She's only the second woman in the 41-year Open era to rally from match point down on the way to winning Wimbledon. The other? Venus in 2005.

Serena is making a habit of such escapes. She also saved match points en route to Australian Open championships in 2003 and 2005.

"The match is never over," Serena noted, "until you shake the opponent's hand."

Or, as was the case Saturday, until you hug her.

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