Serena Williams celebrate after winning final match point of Wimbledon 2009 against Venus

The Williams sisters took Centre Court in the 2009 Wimbledon finals to determine the grass court champion and conclude some serious family business. So serious that their father could not bear to watch.

The elder Williams declared his intention to mow the lawn during the finals and boarded a plane for Florida the night before the sisters faced off in the finals. In another dominating Grand Slam finals performance, Serena captured the tournament that slipped away last year and hoisted the Venus Rosewater Dish on Independence Day. The little sister had accomplished her goal and avenged her 2008 loss to Venus.

With a devastating serve and an overpowering disposition, 27-year old Serena overcame her big sister 7-6 (3), 6-2 in a near flawless performance before a packed house at London’s All England Club. With the win, Serena stopped Venus’s run of five straight Wimbledon titles and became the first player to win a title after a six-year lapse.

Venus had been the more dominant performer entering the finals. Her 120 mph serve and graceful, though bandaged, court coverage, along with her calm, steady personality appeared to have the elegant defending champ poised for victory. But, her younger sister and doubles partner would have none of it.

Today, there were no “nice shot,” no “good try,” exchanges between the two sisters who often drill with each other. Today was business, all business. Today, two partners, great friends and sisters went on the court to play by themselves and for themselves.

Serena Williams won Wimbledon 2009 Woman Championship

The setting is the favorite for Venus, who has only lost five matches in her career at Wimbledon. Serena had won the tournament in 2002 and 2003 before Venus began her run of titles and has been on a roll since capturing the U.S. Open in 2008. This year she has added the Australian Open and now Wimbledon to attain the lofty level of 11 time Grand Slam champion.

In the first set, both players played well and served especially well. With first serves approaching 120 mph, neither player could manage a break although Serena threatened on two occasions and Venus had two break points at 4-4.

Serena had asserted her serve early. Venus had no answers. At the conclusion of the match, Venus was only able to win 8 points off her sister’s serve and her inability to pressure the serve spelled doom for the tiebreaker as well as for the second set.

Early in the opening set, Venus displayed her winning form. She moved well to the ball, held her position through impact and showed near perfect form. Serena played the power game that overcame Victoria Azarenka and the talented Elena Dementieva. Serena tends to move aggressively into her groundstrokes and occasionally comes up and off the ball. In the finals, an unusually relaxed and comfortable Serena stayed down and blistered forehands and backhand at her sister.

The Williams sisters play the way they conduct themselves. Venus is quiet, serene, poised even reserved while Serena is gregarious, powerful and a bit higher strung. With more than 930 tour wins between them, these ladies have the experience and championship know-how to intimidate the younger pretenders to the throne.

While Dinara Safina remains the top ranked player on the tour, tennis fans and other competitors acknowledge Venus, Serena and Elena Dementieva as the three best players and competitors.

In the tiebreaker, Serena broke early and held all her serves to go up 6-2. Venus held one serve but Serena executed a perfect lob to seal the set.

The first set toll wore on Venus. She began to press her serve and faulted at key times. Serena was zeroed in on the second serve, moving forcefully into the returns. Unable to land first serves, Venus was powerless to defend the onslaught. After breaking at 2-2, Serena ran of four straight games, winning the second set with ease.

Serena raised her impressive Grand Slam final match record to 11 wins opposed by just 3 losses.

In post match interviews, Serena said it was the first time in her career that she “did not expect to win.” She walked on to Centre Court with nothing to lose and felt no pressure.

Serena Doubles her Pleasure

Serena Williams and Venus Williams is winner of woman's double in Wimbledon 2009

Still feeling like they had something to prove, Serena and Venus Williams mended their emotional fences and paired up on the same side of the net to overcome third seeded Australians Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs in a well played 7-6 (4), 6-4 final. The one hour thirty minute triumph completed a most successful day for America’s Williams sisters who dominated both the singles and doubles events.

Featuring two of the game’s best services, the winners chalked up 9 aces compared to 2 from the Aussies. The Americans scored a sterling 45 outright winners and were relentless on the attack.

The win was the pair’s eight Grand Slam title and third Wimbledon Doubles trophy. In the last match of the day, the fourth seeded ladies put an American stamp on both ladies tournaments and paved the way for the USA’s best performance at Wimbledon in years.

The statistics tell the tale and show how the tour’s tallest player at 6 foot 10 inches has been able to reach the quarterfinals. Against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Karlovic registered an astounding 46 aces. Against another highly regarded talent, Fernando Verdasco, the 7 seed, Ivo made 127 serves. The dynamic Spaniard was only able to get 27 of those serves in play. Astounding!

Entering the match with Roger Federer, Karlovic had held serve 129 consecutive times. Amazing! Against Federer, he blistered his serve, dominating the first game at love. After Roger held again, Karlovic fired a 138 fastball down the line. Federer put a short stroke on the ball and Ivo stood flat-footed in disbelief as the ball skipped past him. Uh Oh! Match over!

Roger broke serve easily to take a 3-1 lead and then held for 4-1. The set ended at 6-3 and the match was virtually over. The rest was a mere formality. Ivo Karlovic does not have the racket skills, foot speed or game to stay with Roger Federer and he knows it.

The real question is why is Federer able to figure it out when no other tour player has been so inclined. Roger made it clear to Ivo that the big Croatian would have to play tennis to get to the semis.

While Tsonga complained that it was not real tennis, the Frenchman got it wrong. It was the Frenchman’s inability to make Ivo play tennis that cost him the match. The same can be said for Verdasco.

That is what makes Wimbledon the greatest tournament on the greatest surface. To champion Wimbledon, you need to have all the shots, beat all different styles of play and have the experience and strategy to counter the opposition.

Roger Federer exposed Ivo Karlovic for what he is; the game’s most revered serving specialist. It works for Karlovic and he is not about to change his game so if players expect to beat him, they need to force him into points. As Federer demonstrated in his 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7) quarter victory, it helps to make Ivo move. Even the game’s best serve cannot overcome a lack of foot speed and questionable groundstroke technique.

This is why Roger Federer will be playing in his 21st consecutive Grand Slam semifinal round. This is just one more testimony to the man’s genius. Hail to the king! Roger moves on.

There was little doubt that the world’s best tennis players would all show up for the annual Lawn Tennis Championship hosted by the prestigious All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Not only will this year’s players compete for the largest purses in the event’s illustrious history, but they will be initiating a sparkling new Centre Court complete with a spectacular retractable roof.

The All England Croquet Club was founded in 1868. In 1875, Walter Clopton Wingfield’s game of lawn tennis, which was originally called Sphairistike, became an activity at the club. In the hopes of raising enough money to acquire a new roller, the club decided to host a Gentlemen’s Singles Lawn Tennis Championship.

200 spectators attended the tournament. Each fan paid one shilling to watch the finals. Spencer Gore, a prominent Harrovian rackets player, championed a field of 22 players to claim the inaugural tournament.

For the event, rules of the game previously administered by the Marylebone Cricket Club were altered by the All England Croquet Club. With the exception of details pertaining to the height of the net, the height of the posts and the distance from the service line to the net, the game remains essentially unchanged.

In honor of the first tournament, the club changed its name to the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club. By 1882, croquet was scarcely played at the club and the title was shortened to the All England Lawn Tennis Club. In 1899, the membership decided to return to the traditional name and the club has been known as the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ever since.

The lawns at the All England Club were known as the Grounds. As the popularity and demand of lawn tennis increased, additional courts were added. The new courts were arranged around the Grounds’ principal court, which became known as Centre Court.

In 1884, the Ladies’ Singles Lawn Tennis Championship was inaugurated. 13 players vied for the title. Maud Watson bested the field. Gentlemen’s Doubles was also added to the tournament. The trophy was donated by the Oxford University Lawn Tennis Club, who halted their tournament which had begun in 1879.

The first Gentlemen’s Doubles Championship was won by the popular British twins, Ernest and William Renshaw. The Renshaws ignited support for Lawn Tennis and for the All England Championships. Between 1881 and 1889, the Renshaw brothers reigned in 13 singles and doubles titles. In honor of the twins, the era was dubbed the “Renshaw Rush.”

The Renshaw Rush ended in 1889. Along with the era’s passing, the excitement for the All England Championship waned. It took another set of brothers to resurrect the tournament’s popularity. In 1897, Laurie and Reggie Doherty began a ten year rule. The All England Lawn Tennis Championship flourished once again.

The original Worple Road site was expanded many times. After World War I, the increasing demand required that the club move to its current Church Road location, where the 14,000 seat stadium was erected. King George V opened the new stadium in 1922.

The enlargement of the stadium and the continued expansion of the tournament’s field propelled the growth of tennis. Originally, the size of the stadium sparked much controversy. However, the immediate demand for tickets required the implementation of a ballot system to determine the successful ticket holders. This system has been in place since the opening of the Church Street Stadium.

The International Reign

By 1900, the championship entertained players from abroad. In 1905 a young American woman, May Sutton, became the first player from across the pond to win a singles championship. May triumphed again in 1907, the same year that Australian Norman Brookes became the tournament’s first international Gentlemen’s Singles Champion.

Much to the dismay of impassioned local fans, only two players from Great Britain have won the championship since Brookes’ 1907 win. Arthur Gore won the title in 1908 and 1909 and the esteemed Fred Perry triumphed from 1934 through 1937.

On the women’s side, Great Britain has had a bit more success. Since the move to Church Road, Kitty Mckane Godfree, Dorothy Round, Angela Mortimer, Ann Jones and Virginia Wade have claimed the Women’s Singles Championship. Jones won in three sets in 1969 and Wade prevailed in three grueling sets in 1977.

World War II

During World War II, the All England Club continued. The Grounds were used for drilling and other civil defense purposes. At one point, a small farmyard arose on club’s grounds. Troops in the area were permitted to use the courts despite the club’s lack of staff.

In 1940 five bombs struck Centre Court and 1200 seats were destroyed. In June of 1945, the courts came alive again as Allied servicemen competed on the grass. The number 1 court had withstood air assaults and remained playable.

In 1946, the All England Club decided to resume the Lawn Tennis Championships. Lt. Col. Duncan Macaulay was designated to organizing the rejeuvenation of the event. Yvon Petra won the Gentlemen’s trophy and Pauline Betz won the Women’s title in 1946 and Wimbledon was back.

The club’s facilities were not fully restored until 1949, but the tournament remained fully subscribed. With the expansion of air travel in 1950, more and more international players brought their games to Wimbledon. The game of tennis and the nature of Wimbledon were about to change.

Open Changes

As the status of amateur tennis became clouded and in order to uphold the game’s integrity, All England Club Chairman Herman David proposed that the Lawn Tennis Championship be open to members of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and to the members of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). This proposal was made in 1959 and rejected in 1960. The club again unsuccessfully pursued this proposal in 1964.

Finally, the LTA agreed to accept players of all categories for the 1968 tournament. Rod Laver and Billy Jean King were the first individual champions of the Open Era.

A New Age

Attendance at the All England Club now exceeds 450,000. The two-week tournament begins six weeks before the first Monday in August. The club undertakes improvements every year.

In 1979, the Centre Court roof was raised one meter enabling increased seating for 1250 fans. In 1982, Aoragni Park (Cloud in the sky) was added to the Grounds. This addition expanded all the club’s facilities. In 1986, a new two-story pavilion was added to Aorangi.

In preparation for the 21st Century, a Long Term Plan was developed in 1993. The plan included three stages. Stage three is underway and this year Wimbledon will utilize its new retractable Centre Court roof.

As Ian Ritchie the Chief Executive of the All England Club has said; “We set out to make Wimbledon the world’s premier tennis event; the tournament the players most want to win, the tournament spectators most want to come to and the tournament everyone wants to watch.”

Congratulations to the All England Club for achieving their goals.