London: Serena and Venus Williams can book places in the Wimbledon final today, seven years after they last slugged it out for a Grand Slam title.

For the first time since 2009, both sisters have made it to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

To make the dream final become a reality, defending champion Serena must beat Russian world number 50 Elena Vesnina, while world number eight Venus plays Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber.

Between 2000 and 2010, Serena and Venus won a combined nine Wimbledon titles and made a total of 14 appearances in the final, with four of those being all-Williams affairs in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009.

But, just when it seemed the Williams’ duopoly in south-west London would never end, in 2011 Venus was struck down by illness and Serena’s win over her sister at Wimbledon in 2009 remains their last title clash.

Now, at an age when most of her contemporaries had long since called it quits, 36-year-old Venus has willed herself back into contention for an eighth Grand Slam crown.

It is a renaissance that makes Serena proud, but even the 34-year-old didn’t expect to still be in which a chance of contesting the sport’s top prizes with her sister at this advanced stage of their careers.

“I’m surprised of the longevity of it. That kind of definitely took me by surprise,” Serena said.

“When you’re younger and you have a dream and you say it and you believe it, that’s one thing. But for it to really happen and to come true, it’s just a completely different emotion.

“It means Venus has a lot of perseverance. She’s a real fighter. Like I always say, it’s super inspiring for me. It’s really great.

“With everything she’s been through, I think it’s built a ton of character in her, and in me just by being around her.