Venus v Serena in detail
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Big sister Venus won the historic battle of the Williams siblings before wrapping her arms around Serena at the net in a tender embrace saying: "I love you."

The reigning champion retained her US Open title with a 6-2 6-4 victory in a match during which Venus controlled much better the awesome power of the biggest hitters in women's tennis.

It was a case of 21-year-old Venus' experience and brain against the raw brawn of 19-year-old Serena, who sprayed 36 unforced errors around Arthur Ashe stadium here at Flushing Meadows.

And while the 23,023 spectators desperately tried to cheer Serena into the match the action took an uncannily similar course to the Wimbledon semi-final two years ago when Serena also handed the match to her sister with her wastefulness.

That match had prompted suspicions, vehemently denied, that dad Richard had decided who should win prior to the match. He was not in the stadium this time having said "no parent would want to see their children fighting each other".

Mum Oracene was there, however, trying to keep her hands from applauding so as not to show any bias in the first Grand Slam final to feature two sisters since Maud and Lilian Watson played each other at Wimbledon back in 1884.

Only America could stage quite such a glitzy extravaganza - the first prime-time network tennis match in this country since Billie Jean King made a fool of Bobby Riggs.

Before the start stars from the Broadway show Blast performed, so did a 100-strong gospel choir, Diana Ross sang 'God Bless America', then went to hug Venus and Serena in turn at the umpire's chair.

When the action eventually began it was Serena who came out blasting groundstrokes, taking Venus' first service game to four deuces.

But once Venus settled it was clear the Wimbledon champion was calmer, more composed and more capable of producing her best form.

She broke Serena's serve in the fifth game and again in the seventh, courtesy of a double fault from her younger sister and went on to win the first set in routine fashion.

The pattern appeared to be repeating itself in the second set when Venus broke serve easily in the first game. Her form then mysteriously dipped for a couple of games to allow Serena to break back in the fourth game and there followed two more consecutive breaks of serve as the Venus errors began to flow from her racket.

The girls began to play the best tennis of the match, a fabulous seventh game of spectacular rallies in particular lifting the crowd.

Two double faults from Serena at the start of the ninth game, however, allowed Venus to garner the crucial break and she went on to clinch her second successive title and her fourth Grand Slam title in the last six.

Serena received the runners-up cheque for 425,000 US dollars and said: "It was a bit windy and the balls were flying out there.

"I'm disappointed but not that much. I'm still young, I'm only 19 and I have a few more years out there.

"I wasn't nervous at all. I've been in the final of the US Open before and there was a good atmosphere."

Venus, meanwhile, picked up 850,000 US dollars, plus her second consecutive Grand Slam trophy after having triumphed at Wimbledon.

"It's strange because I always want Serena to win," said Venus. "I'm the big sister and I always take care of Serena. I love her too much and that's what counts.

"But I've been blessed by God and I'm here and healthy. Every year I play in the wind. If it's not windy I can't play."