Serena beats Venus to Wimbledon crown

Serena Williams thwarted her sister Venus's hopes of a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles and avenged her defeat last year by winning the ladies final 7-6, 6-2.

After a tight first set the younger of the Williams sisters used her huge serve to full effect as she dominated her opponent in the second to take the title in straight sets.

The result means Serena has now won 11 Grand Slam titles and holds the Wimbledon, Australian and US Open crowns. It was the eighth time in the last 10 years that one of the sisters has won the tournament.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:Peter Higgs, Mail on Sunday: "She may not be the most graceful of women champions, but her ability to pound the ball to all corners of the court with relentless consistency and to hit serves that many male players would be happy to deliver, makes her too strong for others of the fair sex. In terms of comparison with their male counterparts, there were times when this seemed like a men’s match; none of that pitter-pat serving that used to be derided."

Kevin Mitchell, the Observer: "All that saved this Wimbledon final from descending into a tedious monument to the one-paced predictability that grips women's tennis was, as ever, the athletic integrity of the Williams sisters. But, for a Centre Court audience baking quietly in the sun, it was a close-run thing. Sleep beckoned more than once as Serena muscled her way to a 7-6, 6-2 victory to go alongside three wins here over Venus in five finals."

Barry Flatman, Sunday Times: "Only a woman suitably comfortable with herself and her position in life would celebrate her 11th major singles win while wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Are You Looking At My Titles?” emblazoned in bright red letters across her chest. Serena Williams is such a person. Her force, power and determination to succeed on the great stages — even if a loved one provides the opposition across the net — have now indisputably distinguished her as the world’s leading women’s tennis player, even if the rankings don’t agree."

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