How it happened: Venus wins topsy-turvy clash with sister Serena

World number one Serena Willams of the US returns to Ana Ivanovic of Serbia during their WTA Dubai Tennis Championships quarter final match yesterday.

Venus Williams defeated her sister Serena in a third set tie-break to reach the final of the Dubai Tennis Championship. See how the match unfolded below. FINAL SET, TIE-BREAK The first point goes to Venus as she breaks a rally with a swinging forehand down the line before Serena gets on the board when Venus miscues. Yowzer. Venus pulls a serve of 197kph out of her bag marked "Things that make me one of the best players in the world". Venus opens up a 4-1 before capitalising on a second serve to make her return too hot to handle. Serena stands and delivers a forehand that flies narrowly wide and gives Venus four match points. Serena saves the first with a one-legged crosscourt backhand winner. At 3-6 her first serve hits the net before Serena again flays a forehand just wide. Game, set and match to Venus Williams. 7-6 (7-3) to Venus Annabel Croft's voice booms out as soon as play is finished. She does not hang around. That was a thoroughly enthralling match. It looked like it was going to be a cakewalk for Venus in that first set but Serena turned it around and was a different player after that. The third set could have gone either way but Venus showed the most composure and played some wonderful defensive tennis at times. FINAL SET, GAME 12 Serena is again serving to stay in the match. Serena hits a forehand winner and Venus misses two forehands of her own. Serena then hits another crosscourt forehand winner as she wins the game to love. The sisters cannot be split. 6-6 FINAL SET, GAME 11 There's no respite from the action as game 11 gets underway with Serena hitting a high volley winner. Venus responds with a 192kph and Serena cannot control her return. Both players miss easy shots. At 30-40 Venus is not happy with her first toss of the ball. There is obvious tension. She is happy with the second one though as it aces down the middle. She then aces again but it goes back to deuce. Two ferocious forehands give Serena the game point but Venus finds a serve to the corner that went as straight as an arrow from the bow of Robin Hood. She gets the advantage as Serena's lob sails out but double-faults. The second serve was absolutely awful, hitting the bottom of the net. Deuce again. Venus again gets the advantage and again goes for the corner. This time it is unsuccessful. Her second serve is down the middle. When Serena's sliced backhand hits the net a loud cheer goes up. 6-5 to Venus FINAL SET, GAME TEN Serena is serving to stay in this match. Serena jumps and spins like a whirling dervish as she hits a wild forehand to go 0-15. But she then has Venus on the ropes and after an exchange of slices Venus nets a topspin forehand. Venus then fires a rapier of a backhand passing shot that beats a rare Serena foray to the net. At 15-30 Venus strikes a forehand into the tramlines. Serena then nearly blows her chance at 30-all when Venus returns what should have been an easy putaway. Again, Venus comes back with a forehand winner has Serena running in vain. Deuce. Venus then hits her service return long and it is game to the younger sister when Venus ends another lengthy rally with a long forehand. 5-5 FINAL SET, GAME NINE At 15 all the ladies exchange a lengthy rally of backhands before Venus hits to the forehand and Serena blazes long. Great stuff again from both players, and as with most of the similar points today, Venus comes out on top when her half-volley drop-shot is paddled back by the scampering Serena only for Venus to lift it over her and into the corner of the court. 5-4 to Venus FINAL SET, GAME EIGHT Another rally has heads turning as a drop-shot is met with a pushed forehand before Serena's lob is met with a smash that she cannot return. At 40-30 Serena curls her favourite serve to Venus' background setting off a rally that ends when Venus rockets one down the line. Venus then nets her return before Serena sees out the game. "Venus! Venus!" is the cry from the, rather fickle, crowd. 4-4 FINAL SET, GAME SEVEN Some fantastic recovery play from Venus is ruined as she nets a simple backhand. It was another wonderful rally though. Both players are making less unforced errors and contributing to some exciting tennis. Having said that Serena then hits a backhand long, a tricky backhand into the net before her return ends up in the same place. This match has more twists and turns than the rides at the waterpark at Atlantis. 4-3 to Venus FINAL SET, GAME SIX Serena opens with an unlucky double-fault - both off the net cord. Serena hits a forehand into the net on the run before Venus hits her with a combination of a deep, pushed volley and then a drop-shot to go to 15-40. Wonderful serving including a 171kph ace down the middle brings it back to deuce. On advantage point to Serena there seems to be some dispute over whether the No 1 seed's lob was in. Venus challenges and it's called out. The crowd release a collective "Ooh". Serena finds a serve deep in the corner to give her the advantage but she slices into the net. The crowd are vocal now. A wonderful rally sees both players use the width of the court. Serena then chases down Venus' smash only to leave Venus a simple put away. On advantage Venus Serena tries a drop-shot that the elder sister reaches and Serena's lob sails wide. Thrilling game, and a break to Venus. 3-3 FINAL SET, GAME FIVE Serena again finds the angle to the forehand side as Venus nets to make it 40-30. An edgy moment for Venus but she importantly holds serve as Serena hits her return into the net. 3-2 to Serena FINAL SET, GAME FOUR Venus has Serena on the defensive to get to 30 all but an ace from Serena gives her game point. And she wins it with an angled forehand that Venus can only put into the net. 3-1 to Serena FINAL SET, GAME THREE Terrible game for Venus as she pulls a forehand long to make it 0-40. Serena creams a winner to break. My, how the tables have turned. 2-1 to Serena FINAL SET, GAME TWO Serena drags Venus out wide on 30-15 but her backhand shot down the line goes out again. Venus however, is unable to capitalise and Serena closes out to 30. People are not cheering quite so vocally for Serena now that she is playing a bit more like she can. 1-1 FINAL SET, GAME ONE Serena's backhand is too short allowing Venus to launch another forehand out of her reach and it's 30-0 when Serena hits her return long. Venus has not got a first serve in this game. Stark contrast to earlier. She then duly hits 188kph and after both sisters hit the sidelines Venus curls one into the far side on the run. 1-0 to Venus SECOND SET, GAME EIGHT Venus wins the first point of the game as she forces Serena to net on the run but she then fails to put a return in court as Serena closes out the set. One apiece. 6-2 to Serena SECOND SET, GAME SEVEN A wonderful volley from Venus at full stretch almost reluctantly clears the net on the game's first point. Serena again uses her powerful forehand to go effect and works her way to two break points. She wins on the first as Venus hits weakly into the net. 5-2 to Serena SECOND SET, GAME SIX Both sisters go for their winners and miss. At 30-15 Venus again raids the net but her volley leaves her open down the backhand side. Serena pushes it long and lets out a cry of disgust. She makes up for it next point by firing a forehand out of Venus' reach before serving the game out. 4-2 to Serena SECOND SET, GAME FIVE Serena nets her return from a weak second serve before Venus drags her out of court before a dainty drop-volley. Comfortable for Venus. 3-2 to Serena SECOND SET, GAME FOUR Serena dominates her service game, venturing to the net, before ripping a forehand out of the reach of her older sister. 3-1 to Serena SECOND SET, GAME THREE The crowd are rallying Serena and she is moving Venus around the court much better now. She opens a 0-30 lead but can only hit the ball out on the stretch. Venus then surprisingly double-faults and at 15-40 Venus serves into the body and Serena can only fend the ball away. Then Venus makes her way to the net and her 1.85m frame returns Serena's first four groundstrokes before Serena passes her down the line. Game on. 2-1 to Serena SECOND SET, GAME TWO Serena shows flashes of her quality to get to 30-0 before ballooning a forehand out and cracking one into the net. At deuce, Serena sets up Venus perfectly, dragging her to the backhand side and with the whole court to aim at puts her volley long. She responds with an ace. She looks relieved and gets a supportive cheer from the crowd. She serves out the game strongly. 1-1 SECOND SET, GAME ONE Venus is working the angles and Serena is just not making the ground as he is forced around the court. Again, Venus' serve looks impressive. One serve of 195kph flies narrowly long. 1-0 to Venus GAME SEVEN Serena throws her hands up in frustration as another serve hits the net. Venus closes out the game to 30 and wins the first set when Serena hits a weak backhand into the net. 6-1 to Venus GAME SIX Venus' serve is averaging 185kph and Serena fails to return the first three serves. It's all a bit easy for the big sister at the minute. Her serve in particular is looking very smooth. 5-1 to Venus GAME FIVE Venus hits long to make it 40-30 before an angled backhand narrowly misses the line. Deuce. Then some power hitting from Venus ends with a well-struck forehand to the backhand side, completely wrongfooting Serena, and she breaks again. 4-1 to Venus GAME FOUR Venus holds serve easily as Serena fails with three returns. 3-1 to Venus GAME THREE Argh. Gremlins in the system here unfortunately. Serena holds serve but is unconvincing and her foot movement seems a bit lacklustre. 2-1 to Venus GAME TWO Serena finds the net twice before Venus hits a 185kph ace straight down the middle. Then she forces Serena into missing a backhand. 2-0 to Venus GAME ONE Serena to serve. She starts with a double-fault before hitting a back foot backhand winner. Then, another double-fault and a backhand long give Venus two break points. Venus makes the early breakthrough as Serena hits a lazy backhand long. 1-0 Venus **************************************************************************** Welcome back to Dubai for the second semi-final of the Barclays Dubai Championship and the latest "sister act" between Venus and Serena Williams. The pair first met professionally all the way back in the 1998 Australian Open and currently Serena has family bragging rights with nine victories each. The winner will face Virginie Razzano in the final. The Frenchwoman eased past Kaia Kanepi 6-1, 6-2, earlier this afternoon. Read the live report . In between the two women's semi-finals Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska beat Anabel Medina Garrigues and Francesca Schiavone 10-8 in a thrilling final set to advance to the ladies' doubles final. It's a pleasant evening here at the Aviation Club and the ballchildren are out on the court. The arena has definitely filled up with the post-work crowd and there should be a good atmosphere for this All-American clash. And the applause and camera flashes signal the sisters' arrival on court. Time for the warm-up before the clash of the siblings commences. Follow it here with live updates from The National.