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.

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

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.

What a day Saturday will be for the Williams family. The world’s two best female grass court players will begin the day on opposite sides of the net contending for the cherished Wimbledon singles title. In a rare occurrence, they will end the day on same side of the net as doubles partners vying for yet another doubles crown.

In women’s doubles, all four of the top seeds reached the semifinals. Top seeded Cara Black (Zimbawe) and Liezel Huber (USA) are probably wondering what top single’s seed Dinara Safina must be wondering; “What can you do?”

In Friday’s semifinal, the doubles specialists Black and Huber had absolutely no answers for the fourth seeded Williams sisters. In fact, the Williams’ decisive 6-1, 6-2, sixty-one minute win raised a serious question about how Women’s seeding is tabulated as opposed to how it should be figured.

Around Wimbledon, the answer is pretty clear. The current seeding system is broken from the start. To begin future Wimbledon seeding, let’s simply acknowledge that the Williams sisters are unparalleled, especially on grass.

With eight Wimbledon singles crowns between them and with 3 doubles titles in their pocket, what more does anyone need to know? In doubles, the Venus and Serena are the best. In singles, Venus and Serena are the best. Forget the ridiculous, laughable tour ranking craziness and get to the beef.

If the tournament organizers at the U.S. Open have any questions, call Dinara Safina first and then Lisa Huber or Cara Black. Tournament organizers need to show some judgment here. It is getting embarrassing allowing the likes of unproven talents like Dinara Safina ride the computer to further steamrolling humiliation.

It is better for the tournament and better for the fans to show some common sense. Better yet, ask the players whom they do not want to play and follow that path to the seedings. Now, there’s a sensible solution.

It would be quite surprising if anyone volunteered to play either of the Williams ladies in singles or doubles. I mean really, who needs it?

Against Cara and Lisa, the match was over as quickly as it started. Before a full house on Court One, the Williams hit 34 winners in two sets. They won 59 points compared to 31 for their opponents. They brought aboard their 120 mph serves and left the top seeds in awe. This was not a doubles match, this was a doubles clinic.

In the finals, the Williams women will take on the accomplished Samantha Stosur and her fellow Australian partner Rennae Stubbs, who overcame the second seeded Anabel Medina Garriques and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain in three sets, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-2. This was a competitive march before a packed gallery.

Stosur, who has been steadily improving since her return to the tour, was the difference. Long regarded as a serious doubles player, Stosur has brought her singles toughness to the doubles arena.

The more than two hour match featured terrific net play and aggressive movements by both teams. In the long run, it was Stosur’s ability to see the court and take advantage of openings that decided the match.

Stosur has two Grand Slam doubles titles on her resume and was the runnerup here last year as well as at the U.S. Open. For Stosur and Stubbs to prevail on Saturday, they will have to hope the Ladies Championship goes three long sets and that the Williams girls lose a little interest. In any case, that is highly unlikely. The Williams know a big payday when they see one and it appears the twosome has had their eye on Wimbledon for some time. On Saturday, the Williams will put their stamp on the grass courts once and for all. Bank it!

I suppose it is not embarrassing. After all, it is the greatest venue for the greatest tennis tournament on the planet. And, is was only fitting that one of their own win the first match ever played under the roof at the world’s oldest tournament.

So, the Brits got their wish. Their man and clear crowd favorite moved on. But, to be completely honest it was 19th seed, Stanislaus Wawrinka, whose stock rose by leaps and bounds.

The 24- year old took on the world’s third ranked player on his home court and came ever so close to sending fifteen thousand courtside spectators as well as thousands watching on Henman Hill’s giant screen home to sulk.

The Brits are pretty anxious to win this one. For those Wimbledon neophytes, it has been 72 years since Fred Perry kept the trophy at home. This year, the Brits have reason for optimism. Murray is a good player. He has defeated the best player to ever pick up a racket four straight times.

The problem for Murray is not his ability. It is what is between his ears. He is unconvinced that he can win Grand Slam Championships and all the fuss and media focus seems to weigh upon the youngster. Andy Murray could use a lesson or two from the Williams sisters. Now there are two high profile competitors that set their eyes on a goal and go for it. Mastering the media is just one of those things great players learn to do. Murray needs some work on that, but he does get points for astute companion selection.

Wawrinka reached the 4th round at Wimbledon last year. He followed that up with a 4th round appearance in the U.S. Open. The guy has some game, but the resume lacks real quality Grand Slam wins.

Give the man his due. He showed. He was composed. He played aggressively. He stood in the Lion’s Den and performed well, very well. He shocked the pro-Murray crowd with a 34 minute thrashing (6-2) of the Scotsman in the first set. He did everything right. His aggressiveness stunned the crowd, stunned Murray and showed just how fragile Murray can be.

To his credit, Murray clawed his way back. He captured a big break in set two and served out the set for a 6-3, 45 minute turnabout. The crowd roared back into the match and the Centre Court knew their man was ready to claim the match for Queen and Country, or something like that.

Murray had the momentum and went for the juggler. He held off several key break points late in the set and made a break at 3-3 hold for the 6-3 win. When Wawrinka replays the match, he will bemoan the fact that at this point he had only converted 2 of 11 break point opportunities.

Stanislaus Wawrinka was apparently the only person who did not know the match was over. He played on and got better and better, feistier and feistier. It seems like Stanislaus was not buying into the Murray is infallible thing. Wawrinka battled through set four. He matched shot for shot with the three seed. When the pressure was on, Wawrinka out-served and out-strategized the Scotsman. Murray appeared shell-shocked looking to his mother and to his lady friend for help. At times, it seemed Murray was trying to bring the crowd into the match. At 5-5, Wawrinka got the break he needed and then held serve to force the fifth set.

If Andy Murray is to win Wimbledon, he had better keep his eye on the ball and his mind on the moment and off the women in his life.

At 10:39 at night, Murray quieted the fans on Henman’s Hill, gave his mother something to cheer about, earned an admiring smile from his lady friend and allowed the 15,000 Brits under the roof to celebrate his 6-3 final set win.

Stanislaus Wawrinka congratulated the winner. Tonight he will remember that on this day, in the first complete match played under the roof, he could very easily have pulled off the event’s biggest upset.

As it is, Murray moves on to put his legions through another raucous, nerve-wracking match against unseeded Juan Carlos Gerrero. I mean, really!

At the top of the bracket, two former Grand Slam Champions will slug it out when Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick go at it again. Roddick recently beat Hewitt 7-6, 7-6.

The other Swissman, Roger Federer will take on heavyweight serve specialist, Ivo Karlovic while Novak Djokovic tries to hold off Tommy Haas. Haas is playing well and will give Djokovic plenty of chase.

All the gentlemen’s quarterfinal matches will be played on Wednesday. Monday was a long, great day of tennis. It is fitting that Murray won. But, it does raise questions about his ability to put matches away. He did not appear a Grand Slam Champion on day one of week two.

Maria Sharapova stepped over a potential first round banana skin to announce her return to tennis and the grass courts in some style. It was a typically ground out win from the Russian who saw off Viktoriya Kutuzova in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.

She displayed all fo the thinsg that many tennis fans have come to love in her and there were a few grunts to be added in as well. Sharapova looked as elegant as she ever has done and will be buyoed by the win as there were no signs of the shoulder injury, that kept her out for most of the season, returning to stop her in her tracks.

It was actually her Ukranian opponent who started the match in a more impressive fashion and managed to get a few games clear before letting Sharapova back in with a double fault on a service game. Things can only get better for the Russian as the tournament progresses but she will have to be a lot more clynical when she comes up against some better opponents.

Sharapova said: “I think there’s still work to be done. I think all the matches that I’ve been playing have really helped me, not just with my tennis but physically too, getting used to the movement on the court. But I always feel like I move pretty good on grass.”

“It’s funny, because sometimes in the middle of the match I’ll find myself thinking: ‘The progression of the shoulder: How’s it feeling’? But I think it’s just a matter of forgetting about it and just playing.”

The women’s draw looks a lot tougher than it has been during recent years at Wimbledon and there are a number of players that could potentially come out and win it. The Williams sisters will always be a force and Serena looked hardly troubled as she strolled to a similarly emphatic first round win. The only thing that did not go her way was the decision to wear a rain coat as she warmed up on a sunny day.

For Sharapova the next options are quite simple. Keep the head down and make sure she prepares perfectly for each match. It is important to remember that this is the first long tournament that she has played after injury and it will be interesting to see if her shoulder can take the pace and not start telling the body that there is a slight hint of pain and weakness.

Many of the top female players will see Sharapova as a weakness and will try to exploit her when and if they player her. However, the point is that this is the tournament that Sharapova announced herself to the world by winning when she was still at a very young age. The fans all seem to take to her and this could be enough to see her through to the later rounds.

She will have to loosen up and risk the injury a little bit more as the better players are bound to send her from one side of the court to the other in a routine fashion and test out the injury that could still be her downfall.