Serena Williams has defended her Wimbledon crown defeating Russian underdog Vera Zvonareva in straight sets. Zvonareva did her reputation no harm at all with a gutsy performance, but Williams' power once again ruled the day.
Read how it happened below...
15:20 Result: Williams v Zvonareva 6-3 6-2
New balls... ace down the middle 15-0. And the top spin kick on her second serve proves too much for Zvonareva 30-0. Match point to a fist clenching Williams... Zvonareva attacks Williams' serve but Williams finishes off the rally with a smash down the middle for the title.
15:17 Williams v Zvonareva 6-3 5-2
Zvonareva wins the first point with a strong serve and volley. And the next with a wayward Williams effort. More good tennis and it's 40-0. 40-15 now as Zvonreva can't find her cross shot. And she sees out the game - Zvonareva is competing well once her first serves are in - otherwise Willaims bullies the points. Williams to serve for the match though.
15:14 Williams v Zvonareva 6-3 5-1
Williams up to serve and begins strongly - 15-0. Another uncharacteristic error by Williams makes it 15-15 but another strong, wide first serve quickly makes it 30-15. More power play brings it to 40-15. Same again for the next - Zvonareva serves to stay in the match.
15:10 Williams v Zvonareva 6-3 4-1
Zvonareva is finding it tough now 0-30. She steadies the ship with a good win after a long rally - 15-30. But Williams steps it up again and anything Zvonareva does Williams does better - two break points. Williams tries too hard for the first and finds the net, and big serve sends it to deuce - she makes it advantage by wrong footing Williams - this Russian has got guts. But Williams won't go away - deuce again. And the pressure tells - advantage again to Williams. Double fault - a horrible end to the game for Zvonareva after a massive effort - the crowd are really taking to her though.
15:04 Williams v Zvonareva 6-3 3-1
Ace by Williams - but it's contested - it proves in 15-0. 15-15 thanks to a net ball by Williams. Williams is finding her first serves now 40-15. On seperate not it's 1-0 to Germany in the World Cup - Muller goal after three minutes. Williams easily closes out the game...
15:00 Williams v Zvonareva 6-3 2-1
Williams follows an error with another viscious first serve to leave it 15-15. Zvonareva won't give in but Williams still makes it 30-15. Good movement by Zvonareva but Williams outfoxes her for 40-15 and she powers into a 2-0 lead in the second set.
14:52 Williams v Zvonareva 6-3 1-0
15-0 thanks to a poor return by Williams. Errors aplenty at the moment 30-30. Break point to Williams - Zvonareva looks to be finding the power tough at the moment. And she misses a bad shot - hitting it tiredly into the net for a break to Williams - Zvonareva screams in frustration.
14:50 Zonareva has performed better than most would have thought so far, but you get the impression Williams hasn't quite found her game yet - here comes the second set.
14:49 Williams v Zvonareva 6-3
Ace - 15-0. Williams is finding the base line well now and putting the pressure on - 30-0. A wayward shot by the champion makes it 30-15. Great serve down the middle but Zvonareva challenges the decision - the crowd begin a slow clap and the decision goes to Williams - set point. But Williams double faults - 40-30. And she forces the issue on the next after missing her first serve again for deuce. Another big serve makes it advantage Williams and she wraps up the set courtesy of another unforced error from Zvonareva.
14:44 Williams v Zvonareva 5-3
Great rally and Zonareva's flexibility enables her to reach a long passing shot and force the error by Williams for 15-0. She follows that with an unforced error of her own though 15-15. Great recovery with an ace for 30-15 and she finds her first serve for the next point which Williams can't handle for 40-15. Williams just looks annoyed now however and wins the next with brute force - 40-30. A double fault makes it deuce... break point now to Wiliams who's winning the majority of rallies as expected. Poor return from a second serve by Williams and back to deuce. But she wins the next with an excellent lob which Zvonareva can't quite reach. The rally of the match so far sees Williams passing her opponent down the line at a stretch. Williams to serve for the set now...
14:37 Williams v Zvonareva 4-3
Two huge serves sets up easy points for 30-0 to Williams. Then an ace... 40-0. Zvonareva does well in the next though and comes to the net to force the error from Williams - 40-15. But Williams sees it out for a 4-3 lead. New 'balls please' calls the umpire - big game here for Zvonareva.
14:35 Williams v Zvonareva 3-3
Zvonareva loses her first point with a tired looking shot, and the second to a close call - both long rallies though - 0-30. Zvonareva shows guts to make it 30-30 but she's having to work hard and an error gives Williams her first break point. Zvonareva saves it though - deuce. A well timed ace makes it advantage Zvonareva and an unforced error makes it 3-3.
14:29 Williams v Zvonareva 3-2
Double fault from Williams - 0-15. She typically follows it up with an ace though - 15-15. Williams' first serves aren't yet landing and they share the next two rallies - 30-30. But William's is on top in open play and powers herself into the lead. Zvonareva is asking questions of her though...
14:25 Williams v Zvonareva 2-2
A wayward second serve return makes it 15-0 to Zvonareva. Then her first ace of the match makes it 30-0. An excellent rally sees it 40-0. And just as it looks like game point, with Zvonareva approaching the net - Williams makes a great cross court pass. Zvonareva serves out the game though.
14:22 Williams v Zvonareva 2-1
A Williams' mistake gives Zvonareva her first point on Williams' serve, then a double fault makes it 15-30 to the Russian. A Willaims ace followed by some good ground shots puts her 40-30 up before an error makes it deuce. Willaims wrong-foots Zvonareva for advantage... then she aces the game winner. Zvonareva is quick around the court but she's still being stretched.
14:18 Williams v Zvonareva 1-1
Zvonavera follows up with a decent service game, although her first serve hasn't functioned as she would have liked. I can see her having problems if her first serves don't land as Williams is returning with venom. Game to 30 to Zvonareva.
14:13 Williams v Zvonareva 1-0
First game easily won to love by Williams - one ace and Zvonavera managed to return two serves but Willaims' power made them short rallies.
14:10 Williams has won the toss and will serve first.
14:00 They've just arrived on centre court - lovely reception for both. They stand for pre-match photos and now begin their warm ups.
13:30 OK now I'm interested - Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe are on BBC together talking about their famous final in 1980 - accompanied by highlights of the five legendary sets - Bjorg of course won but McEnroe got his revenge a year later. Bring back the wooden rackets I say.
13:15 I'm currently following the build up on BBC, Sue Barker is talking to ex champs Virginia Wade and Lyndsey Davenport - they reckon it's going to be 'tough for Zvonareva' - I reckon that's an understatement - a straight sets victory wrapped up with little fuss from Williams. Elsewhere in the English media it's still all about Andy Murray and if he'll ever win a Grand Slam - there are quoted reassurances from everyone from Rafael Nadal to Bjorn Borg saying his time will come. Personally I don't really care - do you?
13:05 Williams has been practising in front of a large crowd on court 16, while Zvonareva has been out on court 11. And the sun is still shining brightly.
11:50 Williams is defending her crown and favourite to lift the trophy for a fourth time, while it is 25-year-old Zvonareva's first major final.
It is expected to be dry and bright at SW19 with high temperatures of 25°C. The action starts at 2pm.
