DEFENDING champion Venus Williams claims she will not lack motivation against younger sister Serena.

By Stewart Fisher

DEFENDING champion Venus Williams claims she will not lack motivation against younger sister Serena.

The pair meet in the women's singles final on American Independence Day tomorrow.

The pair beat Russian opposition to set up their fourth Centre Court duel in eight years.

Wins over Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva means the winner's trophy will be in the possession of a Williams for the eighth time in the last 10 years.

But Venus insists that will not dull their competitive edge.

"It is different because I'm happy for her to be in the final," she said.

"But I have to face her and defeat her. I don't necessarily want her to lose but, for sure, I want me to win.

"Maybe that doesn't make sense but, when I'm playing someone else, I want them to lose.

"I don't like to see her disappointed. But at the same time, I don't want to see myself disap-pointed. I need to get my titles, too.

"I wanted to play against her because the dream has come true for both of us, for our family."

The pair's progress into tomorrow's final could hardly have been more different.

Serena beat Dementieva in the longest women's semi-final in Wimbledon history.

Venus blitzed Safina in the second shortest.

Serena dropped her first set of the Championships and saved a match point before squeezing through 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 8-6 in a duel that lasted 11 minutes short of three hours.

The only previous semi-final to have stretched near that was the 1994 battle between Conchita Martinez and Lori McNeil, which lasted 14 minutes shorter.

"I guess I'm always trying to do something to make history, so here I go again," said Serena.