Venus, who had lost in straight sets to her sister in each of the last three Grand Slam finals, was in dogged mood. Serena allowed her focus to slip at 2-3 in the second set and Venus needed no second invitation to clinch the break. This time she held on, but it was still far from comfortable for the 22-year-old whose second serve was becoming a liability.

The pair traded breaks at the beginning of the deciding set but Serena always had the edge. Venus again demonstrated her determination to end Serena's domination by fighting off five break points at 3-4 but it only delayed her younger sister's title charge.