Championships want quality Williams final

Even before a ball was hit on the manicured lawns of the All England Club it seemed inevitable that the Williams sisters would meet in the final on Saturday.

The pair top the rankings, are seeded first and second for the tournament and have met in the final of two of the last three grand slams.

On top of that, their game is supremely suited to the slick surface where a big serve counts for so much.

Venus, 22, and Serena, 20, have swept all before them at Wimbledon, but their arrival at the final is something of an anticlimax, especially as their previous final match-ups have been mediocre affairs.

Venus described their meetings as: "just a lot of unforced errors basically," after she beat Justine Henin in the semi-finals on Thursday.

Serena's semi-final victim, Amelie Mauresmo, said their finals were: "a little bit sad for women's tennis ... because I think people are going to get bored with it..."

Certainly there is little the two Americans do not know about each other's game. They have played together since they were toddlers, are both coached by their parents, use each other as practice partners and pair up in the doubles.

After winning their singles semi-finals they briskly saw off a third-round doubles challenge from Laura Montalvo and Elena Tatarkova 6-2 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

Serena said her biggest problem with Venus would be returning her serve.

"This is going to be the most difficult surface for me to face her serve. She has a good serve her ... it kind of skids," she said.

For Venus, Serena has it all.

"She's a great competitor, big serve, lots of power, a great forehand, lots of movement," she said.

TWO WIMBLEDONS

Venus has won Wimbledon twice in a row and took the U.S. Open last September.

Serena has since won the French and her semi-final result here means she will leapfrog her big sister at the top of the world rankings.

Maybe it is Venus's turn for glory and a hat-trick in London.

Since they came to prominence under the guidance of their influential father Richard, many tennis commentators and a few players have suggested their results of their matches are decided beforehand by the family.

They have always denied this.

After the semis Venus said: "We both love to win. I am not used to losing. It doesn't happen that often. It's quite the same with her."

If they both want the title badly enough on Saturday, Wimbledon may yet enjoy a fine final.