By Andy Schooler

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All the pre-match talk about the Wimbledon women's singles final surrounded Venus Williams' injury problems.

The older sister had suffered a recurrence of a long-standing abdominal injury during her semi-final win over Kim Clijsters and the official comment from her camp was that she was just 75 per cent fit.

It was also being reported that Venus had also sustained a leg injury during that match less than 48 hours ago.

All that made world number one Serena - who had won the last five meetings between the siblings - a hot favourite to retain her title.

Venus won the toss and elected to serve and immediately held to quell fears the final would be completely one-sided.

She struggled to get to a forehand winner from Serena, but didn't look in too bad shape to lead early on.

In fact, the injury worries were looked pretty unfounded when Venus broke Serena's serve to love in the second game.

All the errors were coming from the top seed's racquet as she sprayed the ball wide and into the net.

Another love game made it 11 straight points to the two-time champion and at 3-0, the match was certainly one-sided - but in Venus' favour.

The first aces - two of them - arrived courtesy of Serena in game four but she still faced a struggle to get on the scoreboard.

But after saving four break points, Serena crucially pulled the deficit back to 3-1 with another big serve that Venus could not return.

The first two double faults of the match came in the following game and helped move Serena to break point. Two came and went, but an improvised volley at the net on the third chance gave her the break back.

Venus' lead had disappeared completely after a love service game by Serena which left the scoreline at 3-3.

Serena's had found her feet and those famous powerful groundstrokes were working well now.

She forced more break points in the seventh game, but Venus dug deep to fend her off and move 4-3 up.

Serena looked in trouble again in the next game when she fell down 0-30, but she used her serve to good effect as the set moved towards its business end.

Venus held comfortably to 15 for a 5-4 lead and Serena had to come out and hold to stay in the set.

And she was unable to do so. An untimely double fault at 0-30 brought up three set points and although one was saved, Serena blew the next - failing to put away an easy overhead kill and Venus had a one-set lead.

The opening set has been decisive in all of the pair's previous meetings and Serena would now have to make history to come from a set down to beat Venus.

She made a great start to the second set though as she began that mission, breaking Venus in the very first game to gain the early advantage.

But on her own delivery, Serena looked shaky. Two double faults in the second game helped gift the break straight back.

Both players were struggling to hold and three break points duly arrived in the next game. Serena dumped two forehands into the net but then produced a superb crosscourt backhand which set up a winner and a 2-1 lead.

Virtually every game was going to deuce now and game four was no different.

However, this time Serena broke the sequence of breaks and held to open up a gap at 3-1.

Everything looked set for a final set when Serena broke again in the fifth game. It was a convincing break too, Venus losing her serve to love to fall 1-4 down.

But Venus was still hopeful of finishing things off in two sets. A scrappy game from Serena gave her sister a break back chance, but the younger sibling held her nerve in a tense rally, hitting the lines to stand firm and going on to establish a 5-1 lead.

Venus then held her serve for the first time in the set, but Serena was still left serving to level the match.

She couldn't do it first time around though. A poor game saw Venus take full advantage and close the deficit to 3-5.

Two net cords suggested the luck was running Venus' way as she forced her sister to serve out the set once more.

This time she looked more focused and when Venus sent a forehand long, Serena had forced the match into a deciding set.

Venus had the advantage of serving first in the third and final set but her first serve deserted her - and Serena pounced.

She got straight on top of the second serve and broke to 15 before Venus called for the trainer as the first signs of her injury began to show.

And just as in her semi-final, Venus then left the court to receive treatment in the time-out.

Upon her return, Venus cracked a forehand past Serena - one of her best shots of the match - but then lost four straight points to fall down 0-2.

The injury was forcing Venus to take the pace of her renowned serve, but she looked quite capable off the ground as she held to show her intent of forcing the match to go all the way.

There were certainly no signs of the feared withdrawal from Venus as she pushed Serena to deuce in the fourth game.

But the 21-year-old managed to hold to move 3-1 up before Venus enjoyed a rapid game to cut the deficit once more.

Serena then produced an improved service game to go 4-2 ahead and time was running out for the number four seed to keep her hopes of a third Wimbledon title alive.

Serena found great depth on her groundstrokes in the seventh game to force break point. Although Venus saved one she double faulted on the second to hand her sister the chance to serve out to retain her crown.

Two big serves helped set up match point for the defending champion, and when Venus hit a forehand long, Serena was able to celebrate a second Wimbledon title.