WIMBLEDON, England -- The Williams sisters. Venus and Serena. Serena and Venus. And as they say at the All England Club: Miss Williams and Miss Williams.

	SISTER GRAND SLAMS
	2002 Wimbledon Venus Williams vs. Serena Williams 2002 French Open Serena Williams def. Venus Williams, 7-5, 6-3. 2001 U.S. Open Venus Williams def. Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-4. 1884 Wimbledon Maud Watson def. Lillian Watson, 6-8, 6-3, 6-3.

So often talked about as a tandem, a team, it's easy to forget that the players who will meet to decide the Wimbledon title Saturday are, indeed, individuals.

Sure, they practice together, have won a career Grand Slam in doubles together, live together, even steal toothpaste from each other (Venus complained, laughing, that Serena took a tube from her Paris hotel room during the French Open).

They are not exactly alike, of course. Venus is older, more shy, with a better backhand. Serena is more muscular, a bigger talker in public, and moves more smoothly during a point.

"I can tell the difference between me and Venus on the courts,'' said Serena, who's 15 months younger than 22-year-old Venus. "I'm way more emotional. I pump my fists more. I scream a little more.''

Their increasingly mature tennis games are getting more and more similar.

Unfortunately, placed on opposite sides of a net, neither plays as well as she does against everyone else. Their eight pro meetings have been more lackluster than blockbuster.

There have been whispers that the outcomes of their head-to-head matches are predetermined by father and coach Richard, who is back home in Florida.

"I think it's arranged,'' Amelie Mauresmo, who lost to Serena in the Wimbledon semifinals, told France Television. "I have no information, nothing at all, but, looking at the matches, I think it may be arranged.''

The sisters scoff at such suggestions.

"It's said, but it's not true,'' Serena said.

The attention each would garner certainly is diminished by sharing the spotlight. The way both are playing right now, you get the feeling that if there were one Williams, she would dominate the game as few have, racking up major title after major title.

One Williams probably would be on her way to doing to tennis what Tiger Woods has done to golf. Instead, they form a sort of sort of Tiger-times-two.

After Saturday, a Williams will have won seven of the past 12 Grand Slam events. Since the start of Wimbledon 2001, Venus is 65-6 with 10 titles, and Serena is 55-6 with six.

"We both love to win,'' Venus said. "I'm not used to losing. It doesn't happen that often. It's quite the same with her.''

Both get better by the tournament, no matter the surface.

Their first all-in-the-family Grand Slam final was at September's U.S. Open on hard courts (Venus won 6-2, 6-4). The next came last month at the French Open on clay (Serena won 7-5, 6-3 as they combined for 101 unforced errors).

Sister Slam III -- the first all-sibling Wimbledon final since the very first tournament in 1884, when Maud Watson beat her older sister, Lillian -- is on grass.

Serena now will move up to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time, no matter what happens Saturday. Venus will slide a spot to No. 2. They already were the first sisters at 1-2.

Their dominance never was more evident than in Thursday's semifinals. Two-time defending champion Venus handled sixth-seeded Justine Henin 6-3, 6-2 in a rematch of the 2001 final. Serena followed by brushing aside No. 9 Mauresmo 6-2, 6-1.

Whatever distinctions can be made between the siblings, it's far easier to notice the on-court similarities.

Serves consistently topping 110 mph. Unmatched court coverage. Intimidating forehands and backhands.

It's as though any time they want, Venus or Serena can step into a ball and pound a shot that no one -- save, perhaps, the other -- could put a racket on, much less send back with any gusto.

Venus "was too strong, too good,'' Henin said. "She didn't make a lot of mistakes. She didn't let me play. She was so aggressive, so powerful.

"What could I do?''

Both are perfectionists. Up a set and serving at 4-2 in the second against Henin, Venus put a backhand into the net. She rolled her eyes, let out an "Ugh!'' and put her hands on her hips.

Both are persistent. Already leading her semifinal 3-1 in the second set, Serena stayed steady through a fifth game that featured eight deuces and seven wasted break points. She finally converted on the eighth when Mauresmo missed a forehand.

The sisters alternated answers quite adroitly at a joint news conference Friday after their 6-2, 6-0 quarterfinal doubles victory over Tina Krizan and Katarina Srebotnik.

Asked if they felt like they were a day away from facing off in a Grand Slam final, the sisters exchanged glances, leaned forward and giggled simultaneously, then responded in clipped consecutive sentences:

Venus: "Sure.''

Serena: "Of course.''

Venus: "Yeah, this is a Grand Slam.''

Serena: "This is Wimbledon.''

Heading into the title match, Venus has a 4-2 edge in major championships, and Serena wouldn't mind closing the gap.

She already has thought about doing a bit of redecorating at their home in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

"I really want to win this tournament this year because Venus has won it two years in a row,'' Serena said. "To see those little plates in our little trophy area, I want one of those with my name on it.''