Williams shifts doubts

Just for a few minutes Venus Williams looked uncertain, but once she realised the clouds were not going to roll by, the 2000 and 2001 champion set about the task of firing herself towards another final.

In the end a 6-4 6-1 scoreline was further testimony to her power and quality but at the start, when the first rains of Wimbledon had already come briefly to Centre Court, a shiver was almost detectable in Williams.