There was a time when Venus and Serena Williams threatened to make a monopoly out of the Wimbledon championships. Venus romped to the title in 2000 and 2001 while Serena took charge with the 2002 and 2003 championships beating her sister in both finals. But despite Serena's barnstorming voyage to snatch the Australian Open title in January this year, many in the game believe their time is up.
The theory is that injuries, weariness of the tour, outside interests as well as an ever growing army of eastern European teenage talent are making dents so deep in their reputations, that the damage is beyond repair.
Serena, at least, is determined to keep the show on the road.
Her win in Melbourne was her seventh Grand Slam victory - she now stands equal eighth on the all-time list of winners alongside Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Maria Bueno.
It came after a 2004 devastated by injury where she missed eight months. But the 23-year-old has endured another injury-hit season in 2005 not having played since May because of an ankle injury and being forced out of the French Open as a result.
If Serena maintains some ambition, the same can't be said for Venus, two years older.
She has four Grand Slam titles under her belt but has been without one now since the US Open in 2001.
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