Tennis

Serena Williams wins 4th Wimbledon, 13th major

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-07-04 09:25

Russia's Vera Zvonareva makes a backhand return to Serena Williams of the United States during their women's single's finalat the All England Lawn TennisChampionships at Wimbledon, Saturday, July 3, 2010. [Agencies]

Williams wouldn't allow that. She accumulated a 29-9 edge in winners, a reflection of her fantastic shotmaking and her ability to cover every blade of Centre Court's grass.

Williams improved to 13-3 in major finals; half of the 16 were against her sister. Zvonareva only once before went as far as the semifinals at any Grand Slam tournament and never was past the fourth round at Wimbledon until this year.

"I did not show my best today, and it's a bit disappointing, because it's the final," Zvonareva said. "You know, you don't reach the Wimbledon final every day."

Well, if you're a Williams, you do reach one nearly every year. Ten of the past 11 women's Wimbledon finals included at least one of the sisters; they played each other for the title four times.

This year, though, Venus lost in the quarterfinals, and she already was home in Florida before Saturday. So Serena took center stage, and as she walked through the All England Club carrying the champion's plate, she spun around and kicked up her heels.

"I was really feeling Frank Sinatra-ish — 'Come Fly With Me,' 'Fly Me To The Moon,'" she explained. "Old-style dance — that's what I felt like at the moment."

The 28-year-old Williams has been criticized in the past for not paying enough attention to her tennis career, for dabbling in acting and clothes design.

It's clear, however, that she is as good as it gets right now, and could be for some time.

"That's always been a goal of hers, I guess, to be the best," said her mother, Oracene Price. "And to not lose. She hates losing."

That was never much of a concern Saturday.