A subdued Serena Williams retained her Wimbledon title on Saturday when she beat her injury-hampered older sister Venus 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Centre Court.

Venus, the 2000 and 2001 champion who also lost last year's final to Serena, struggled with a stomach strain throughout and finished the match in considerable pain.

Serena's victory was her fifth in succession over Venus in a Grand Slam final. It was her sixth Grand Slam singles triumph in total and re-established her dominance of the women's game after a bitter French Open semi-final loss last month.

Venus finally conceded defeat when she sent a forehand long and Serena trotted to the net to embrace her stricken sister.

"It was a little more difficult seeing as Venus was injured, but I just had to tell myself to look at the ball and nothing else," said Serena after receiving the famous Rosewater Dish and a cheque for 535,000 pounds ($892,400).

She also paid tribute to her sister. "It showed what a great champion Venus is and she's really inspiring for me."

Venus said: "I came out because I just thought the people the fans deserved a final. That's why I was out here."

Serena, the 21-year-old world number one, now holds the Australian Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon singles titles.

She is only the fifth woman since the game turned professional in 1968 to retain the Wimbledon crown after Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Venus.

DISTINCTLY UNCOMFORTABLE

After Venus, who won her semi-final against Belgian Kim Clijsters despite severe abdominal pain, practised for only 15 minutes in the morning there was some doubt about whether she would play at all.

Previous finals between the two sisters have usually failed to live up to expectations and Saturday's showdown was a curious affair.

Among those watching in the Royal Box was film director Ridley Scott, the man who created the Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator.

Under sunless skies the sisters stalked into the arena with Venus, in an elegant lattice-backed dress but with her left thigh strapped, stepping gingerly and looking distinctly uncomfortable.

Bizarrely, though, Serena seemed the more afflicted early on, quickly falling 3-0 behind in a atmosphere more akin to a practice match.

The defending champion look completely off the pace but gradually found her rhythm, levelling for 3-3 as the match began to pick up.

The younger sibling lapsed badly at 4-5, double-faulting for 0-40. Venus, apparently coping with her pain, then took the set after a prolonged exchange when Serena carelessly placed a drop shot into the tramlines.

Three successive breaks at the start of the second ended when Serena held for 3-1. She led 5-1 but Venus won the next three games before the defending champion finally levelled the match at one-set apiece.

Only one of their previous five Grand Slam finals had gone to three sets -- the Australian Open in January when Serena triumphed.

When Venus lost her opening service game of the decider, she called for the trainer and, looking very unhappy, headed for the locker room to have treatment.

The 23-year-old bravely continued but a pained double-fault at 2-4 killed off any lingering doubt about the outcome and Serena, almost apologetically, served out the match to complete victory in two hours, three minutes.