Venus to rule the world

Venus Williams can put her younger sister, Serena, in her place in the women’s singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday

Predicting exactly what will happen when the siblings meet is not easy because the pair have rarely replicated their best form in six previous Grand Slam showdowns. Perhaps, not surprisingly, they usually find it hard to engage top gear and, with that in mind, the 4-6 that Ladbrokes offer against the fastest serve in the match being 125mph or lower, is tempting.

But, on balance, it is surprising that Venus, a four-time champion and returning to defend the title that she won last year, is the even-money underdog. And the general 11-4 on offer against her winning in straight sets is simply too big to resist.

The 28-year-old is in her element on grass and has progressed to the final without dropping a set. She served with typical variety and venom when brushing aside Elena Dementieva, the No 5 seed, in her semi-final and has been moving around the court with so much speed and athleticism in the past fortnight that it is difficult to believe she has ever been better.

Serena has won on the past two occasions the pair have met in the final at Wimbledon but this will be the first time that they have crossed swords for five years and, to a large extent, those previous battles are irrelevant.

Like Venus, Serena, a best-priced 4-5, has not dropped a set en route to the final, although the 133rd-ranked Zheng Jie gave her a scare in her semi-final after a slow start. Serena’s power enables her to bully inferior rivals but an on-song Venus has the weapons to blunt her and claim the women‘s crown for a fifth time.