Wimbledon women's final instant analysis

Originally Published: June 18, 2008

Don't miss a beat of the women's final. Ravi Ubha will provide instant analysis through the duration of the match.

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By Ravi Ubha
Special to ESPN.com
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Editor's note: Venus Williams defeated sister Serena in straight sets to win her fifth career Wimbledon title. If you missed any of this historical encounter, look no further. Ravi Ubha provided instant analysis from the first ball to championship point.

Second set
You fear Venus might run away with the second set, but Serena takes a 30-0 lead, unleashing a backhand return winner down the line, and forehand winner down the line. A frustrated look follows from Serena, probably having to do with blowing the first set.

Venus fights back to get to game point, although we get to deuce yet again. Serena is given a break chance when a forehand sails wide down the line, though it's saved when a good first serve forces a short reply and easy put away for Venus.

Back to game point, and Venus pops up a volley, Serena taking it out of the air and hitting a winner deep in the court.

Venus ties her own record by uncorking a 129 mph first serve, a new Wimbledon record for the ladies, to eventually hold for 1-0.

Serena is 1-for-6 on break points.

Another stat: Serena has won a measly 10 percent of points behind the second serve.

Serena shrugs off the disappointment and holds at 15, perhaps just what she needs, for 1-1.

Two break points, at 15-40, surface. The first goes astray when a forehand misses long, and on the second, Venus works her way into the net and hits a drive forehand volley winner. That makes it 1-for-8 on break points, and Venus is 9-for-12 on points won at the net.

Venus' time to challenge when a forehand is called long. Hawk-Eye confirms the ball was wide and long, and yet another break opportunity. One more time it's saved, a first serve the catalyst for an eventual clean winner. Saved when a second-serve return goes long.

Serena earns another break chance when a backhand volley clips the net and pops over -- she pumps her fist and offers no apology. Guess what comes next? An ace.

Later, on the fifth deuce, a perfectly placed second-serve ace out wide gives Venus the advantage, nullified a point later with a great forehand return.

Oracene Price, the sisters' mom, lets out a laugh.

Serena won't get a better chance to break, having the whole court to hit a short backhand with Venus stranded at the net. The ball goes into the net instead.

Venus slips slightly hitting a backhand pass, Serena at the net to comfortably convert the volley.

Serena finally converts a break, Venus slipping and allowing Serena to send a forehand cross court winner into the open space.

The game lasted 14 minutes and took 21 points. Serena, now 2-for-13 on break points, up 2-1.

Serena with the momentum now, and she needs to keep hold of it. Venus proving she's not going anywhere, clubbing a backhand pass to make it 30-all.

Lo and behold, Venus has a chance to break right back when Serena sends out a forehand volley into the net, accompanied by a shriek.

Serena takes her time as she readies to hit a second serve, but it does no good. Venus powers a forehand into the corner and Serena has no chance, an attempted lob not even reaching the net.

It looks like Venus's day.

Make that it's looking more and more like Venus's day, as she holds at 30 to take a 3-2.

"It's quite impressive to see her competing so hard on such a big occasion against her sister,'' McEnroe says.

Stat update: Serena with 29 winners and eight unforced errors: Venus with 24 and 12, but playing the big points better.

Venus on a roll now, going up 30-0, as she nears the finish line.

Serena, though, comes up with a service winner to pull one point back, then gets to 30-all, eventually putting away a drive volley at the net. Venus covered a whole lot of territory during the rally, Serena missing a few chances to come forward earlier, mind you.

Break point now, which could be a match point.

Anyone guess what stroke saves Serena? A big first serve, and we're at deuce -- seemingly in every game now. Serena holds for 3-3.

"You sort of don't watch this match to end,'' McEnroe said.

Venus piles the pressure back on Serena by holding to love, the last stroke a forehand that clips the back of the line. 4-3 Venus.

At 30-0 in the eighth game, Serena suffers a mild brain cramp, hitting a short ball with Venus stranded right at her sister. Venus sends back a forehand with Serena well out of position. She shakes her head in disgust.

It doesn't affect her. An ace and service winner follow for 4-4.

Serena is losing, by the way, even though she's hit more aces, fewer double faults, more winners and fewer unforced errors than Venus.

A great point at 30-15 in the ninth game: Venus has Serena doing sprints from the baseline and forces an error in a 23-stroke rally. Now 5-4 Venus. One game away.

"I just want to take this all in,'' McEnroe. "It's everything I hoped for.''

Serving to stay in it, Serena gets off to a good start, hitting a solid first serve that forces an error. Another good first serve makes Venus hit a short return, although Serena, with an open court, hits a forehand long.

Uh oh. Serena now two points from defeat, a forehand going into the net.

She needs the serve, but it deserts her. Venus the victor on another long rally, pouncing to get to a short ball and sending down the line.

Two match points.

The first saved with an ace out wide, No. 9.

And there it is. Serena hits a backhand wide and Venus collects her fifth Wimbledon title, and second in a row.

The sisters exchange a hug at the net, though not a prolonged win. Serena clearly dejected.

Venus wins the championship 7-5, 6-4 in a one hour, 51-minute thriller.

Time for the trophy presentation and Serena doesn't look too happy showing off her runners-up plate. You can't blame her.

She led deep into the first set and was only 1-for-8 on break chances in the second, 2-for-13 overall.

"It didn't work out the way I planned,'' she said, later adding, "I'm so happy at least one of us was able to win.''

Venus was constrained in her celebrations, though flashed a bit of humor when it was pointed out that mom must have had a hard time watching in the stands.

"I like to think they want me to win,'' Venus said.

Venus becomes the 10th woman to notch five Wimbledon ladies singles titles, and just the third in the Open era behind Martina Navratilova, in the Royal Box and Steffi Graf.

There could be more silverware for her this weekend, since she and partner Serena are competing in the doubles final later Saturday.

First set
First a weather update.

Rain poured down in London early Saturday, although it's dry now, partly cloudy conditions prevailing. The current temperature is about 68 degrees, with a somewhat blustery wind.

And we're off.

Venus to serve. After a fault on the first serve, Serena pummels a forehand winner down the line. Two points later, another second-serve forehand return sets up the point and the break comes at 15 with a sizzling backhand cross-court. 1-0 Serena.

Serena looking sharp.

Into the second game, a first serve sets up another winning point. Serena, who served so well against Zheng Jie in the semis, holds to love. Five winners, no unforced errors so far. 2-0 Serena.

Serena zings a forehand return to go 0-15 up in the third game, which already appears crucial.

"Nothing working so far [for Venus],'' John McEnroe, commentating for the BBC, says. "Five minutes in she's already in a hole.''

A double fault makes it 0-30, though Venus fights back to take a 40-30 lead, delivering a forehand volley. Serena won 10 of the first 11 points.

Any sisterly love here? Doesn't look it. At game point, Serena uncorks a lethal backhand straight at Venus at the net. Venus reacts quickly, putting away an instinctive volley to get on the board. 2-1 Serena.

Serena led the tournament in aces, coming in with 48. She hits her first today to go up 15-0, then another to pull back to 30-all. Two service winners make it 3-1 Serena.

Interestingly, Venus is standing almost a yard inside the baseline returning serves.

A second double fault gives Serena a 15-30 advantage in the next game, and at 30-all, an incredible backhand return forces Venus into a backhand error.

Another break point saved with an outstanding volley by Venus. Coming in off a backhand cross-court, Serena sends back a backhand pass down the line, which is scooped up and sent cross-court by Venus.

By the looks of things, Venus is going to need a bit of luck. She gets it to get to game point: a backhand hitting the top of the net and barely popping over as Serena waited nearby to put away what would have been an easy volley.

Venus holds to trail 3-2.

The first Hawk-Eye challenge of the final. Serena hits a forehand down the line, which is called wide. She goes to the video and wins, the ball clipping the outside of the line, then backs it up with an ace. A service winner quickly makes it 40-0.

Serena eventually holds at 30 and hasn't lost a point behind her first serve.

4-2.

"The return of serve has really been a standout today,'' Tracy Austin, also calling the tussle for the BBC, says after Serena sends a cross-court forehand return to win the first point of the seventh game.

Venus's wingspan comes to good use to make it 15-all, as she stretches to hit a forehand volley. A backhand winner that wrong foots Serena gives Venus a game point, which is converted when a Venus serve jams Serena, prompting her to hit a forehand into the net. 4-3 Serena.

The first time Serena loses a point on first serve, Venus emerging from a baseline rally with a backhand down the line that gives her opponent little chance.

Serena's first double fault gives Venus a sniff of a break point, taking it to 30-all.

The first break point for Venus indeed follows when a backhand sails wide. It's saved, Serena delivering her fastest serve of the day at 118 miles per hour to set up an easy put away at the net.

Venus gets a second break chance, repelling a 119 mph serve, and this time converts, uncorking a solid return that forces Serena to send a backhand long. 4-4.

Great tennis so far: Serena with 11 winners and two unforced errors; Venus is 8 and 4.

They say it's often difficult to hold serve in the game after you've just broken, and Venus begins the ninth game by hitting a forehand into the net with an open court.

It's costly. It gets to 30-all, and Serena has a break chance after smashing a forehand cross-court return.

Serena blows it -- working her sister around the baseline, she's in good position to hit a backhand volley. Instead of punching it away, she caresses it with two hands, giving Venus ample time to run it down and send back a forehand winner.

Serena saves a game point and gets a second break chance of the game. Saved again. A solid first serve into the body forces a weak return, Venus taking it with her forehand as she rushes the net and hits it into the corner.

An ace gives Venus another game point, but we're back onto a fourth deuce when Serena nails a backhand down the line.

There is sisterly love. At game point for Venus, Serena hits a backhand she thinks is going wide, lets out a "no" in the middle of the point, but the ball lands in. The rule says play a let, which chair umpire Carlos Ramos wants to do, although Serena gives Venus the point. 5-4 Venus.

Serena now serving to stay in the set, and gets off to a shaky start, hitting a backhand into the net. "There's a little tentativeness now from her strokes," Austin says, referring to Serena.

Her serve, though, bails her out -- two more aces to make it six, and it's 5-5.

Venus holds comfortably, at 15, to make it 6-5.

A reminder of how important the first set is: The first-set winner has gone on to claim the match 14 out of 15 times.

Serena needs her serve now, falling behind 0-30, sending a routine forehand into the net and another ground stroke long. A big first serve prompts a forced error, and Serena gets lucky at 15-30. Given a short ball, she comes in, although hits a forehand where Venus is waiting. Venus hits a pass at Serena, which she manages to volley for a winner.

The first set point comes for Venus after a baseline rally she wins, and she takes it when Serena, flat-footed, hits a backhand into net. Serena drops her racket in disgust.

Venus wins the first set 7-5.

Prematch
When the Williams sisters squared off in the Wimbledon final five years ago, few would have forecasted it would take this long to set up another meeting in a Grand Slam final. Injuries, family tragedy, a loss of interest -- and the emergence of others -- were the main culprits.

Perhaps spurred on by third-round defeats on the same day at the French Open last month, both Venus and Serena Williams cruised in reaching this year's Wimbledon final, not dropping a set. They were also aided by what turned out to be cushy draws following earlier-than-expected exits of world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, former champion Maria Sharapova and second-ranked Jelena Jankovic.

Serena leads their head-to-heads, which began professionally in 1998, 8-7. Tellingly, she's 5-1 in Grand Slam finals against her big sister, taking five straight. Venus, however, has four Wimbledon titles, double Serena's tally, and is the defending champion.

The majority of matches between the two have been forgetful, at least in terms of the tennis, so let's hope this one is a good one. The good news is that their last encounter, in Bangalore, India in March, went to a third-set tiebreak and was full of drama.