TENNIS: Serena skips to victory as the Williams enjoy another big day out at the family playground. Hugh MacDonald reports

IT is not the fault of the Williams sisters that they were in another final. Well, it was. But you might know what I mean. A Williams sisters final is greeted with resignation rather than any great warmth outside their communal living-room.

This, after all, was the fifth Williams v Williams final at Wimbledon, with Serena now leading 3-2 after comfortably taking the salver from her sister 7-6, 6-2 in a good but never great match.

Anticipation of the final was muted. Familiarity can breed diminished interest among the fans to a degree and some cynicism among the commentators which is unfair on the sisters. Their superiority is built on hard work, refined technique and sheer talent.

The feebleness of much of the opposition cannot be part of any contrived attack on two women who are simply great champions. Wimbledon is their playground.

Before stepping on to Centre Court yesterday, Venus had won 34 consecutive sets in SW19. She lost two in just over an hour yesterday, her invincibility seeming to be shaken by the wind that disturbed her service action. It crumbled in the face of her formidable sibling.

Serena played with all the unqualified relief of someone who knows that for one misjudged waft of a racquet she would not be there. Elena Dementieva and Serena served up the best women's match at Wimbledon 2009.

The Russian, though, could not provide the greatest surprise in a dramatic semi-final. She chose to go cross-court instead of passing Serena on a match point.

Like a driver making a reckless attempt to overtake, she crashed and burned. Serena, though, had made her luck by charging at the net and daring the Russian to make the play.

"I love playing on the big points," she said later. That love was repaid with a place in the final.

Serena could then don the mini-trenchcoat and meet her sister for what has become a family occasion. She did not detain Venus for too long. If Serena felt she had been given a second chance at Wimbledon, she took it with all the ruthless rapaciousness that marks a champion.

Serena has been put in the shade at the All England Club by the exploits of her sister who has won five Wimbledon titles. But it must be remembered that Serena is the holder of the US Open, Australian Open and now the Wimbledon championships. She is also the winner of 11 major titles.

She showed why on Centre Court yesterday. This was not a classic match but it was one that was won by the better, stronger player on the day.

Venus, with her left leg heavily strapped as it has been throughout the tournament, was simply overwhelmed. Serena had lamented the disappearance of her forehand as an efficient stroke in the semi-final against Dementieva. It came back yesterday. And with a bang.

She forced her sister back on it and also used it viciously as the coup de grace as Venus struggled to stay in a rally.

But the key was the service game. Serena was rarely troubled on that score. She survived two breaks in the middle of the first set but never gave her opponent another sniff during the match.

Her sister was not serving at her imperious best. Venus, swaying in the wind, checked her action on occasion, catching the ball and looking uncomfortable.

But she is a winner and tenaciously tried to hang on to her title despite fallibilities that were exposed as early as the first strokes of the match when she committed a double fault.

But she only hit two aces in one hour and 27 minutes of tennis. This owed much to her opponent's resilience but perhaps had something to Venus's bad knee. Serena hit 12 aces and moved quickly and strongly in open play.

The story of the match was simple. Slowly but inexorably, Serena made her superiority tell. She survived the break points at 4-3 and then took her chance in the tie-break, forcing the play on her forehand but creating the crucial breakthrough with a wonderfully contrived lob as her opponent rampaged towards the net where she is normally unbeatable.

The second set was a gradual building of tension on Venus. Serena took the first game to love, almost laying down the law that her serve would not be broken.

This confidence seeped into her game on return. At 3-2, she had Venus in trouble, forcing a break point. Venus lamely double faulted. Serena comfortably held serve to lead 4-2.

She was now one game away from regaining the title she last held in 2003. But the wait was not over. It continued into a tense and dramatic game on Venus's serve. Three match points came and were saved. The fourth was taken. Serena sank to her knees in jubilation.

The salver now switches bedrooms in Florida. The arrangement of a tournament broadcast across the world seems such an awful fuss for such a mundane event. But that is not the fault of the Williams. This was the 21st final that the sisters have contested. Serena now leads 11-10. But there will be more. Serena is 27, Venus 29.

They do not dig the dirt of Roland Garros but the sisters are far from ready to relax their grip on world tennis. The story at Wimbledon is even simpler.

The women's game is still a family business.