AUS Open, Women's Singles Final: As it happened...

New Delhi: Serena defeated sister Venus Williams to lift her 7th Australian Open and 23rd Grand Slam title.

#Serena, on #Venus: "There's no way I would be at [No.23] without her. Without her, the 'Williams Sisters' wouldn't exist." #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/wGeK512QL0

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017

---

This was Serena's 316th win in Grand Slams - most for any man or woman in the Open Era.

Final score: Serena wins 6-4, 6-4 against sister Venus Williams. Serena went the entire tournament without dropping a set. Just EMPHATIC for the champion!

03: 32 PM IST: Serena gets her 23rd Grand Slam title, breaks Steffi graf's record to climb to no. 2 spot in the standings of most singles titles for a women tennis player behind Margaret Court.

03: 24 PM IST: Serena to serve for title. Can Venus produce some magic and get the score back level?

03: 21 PM IST: Serena hold on to take 5-3 lead. She is just one game away from winning the set and lifting the trophy.

03: 18 PM IST: BREAK! Serene takes 4-3 lead. Venus just couldn't hold on in this tight game.

# It's deuce! Can Venus pull this off?

03: 12 PM IST: It's level again at 3-3. No break in the set so far. But who will get it?

03: 08 PM IST: Venus hanging in there! Takes 3-2 lead in 2nd set. It's time for her to break now.

03: 06 PM IST: It's 2-2 in 2nd set. Serena holds. Venus to serve now.

03: 01 PM IST: WOW! Venus hold serve after being 40-0 down to win back-to-back 5 serves and win the game. She saved 3 break points to hold serve!

# After being 40-0 down, Venus fights back. It's 40-40 in 3rd game.

02: 55 PM IST: Serena fights back to take the game. It's 1-1.

02: 53 PM IST: Venus holds her serve in the first game of 2nd set. Serene to serve now.

02: 50 PM IST: Serena wins the game 40-0 and indeed the set 4-6

02: 47 PM IST: Venus holds serve to cut lead to 4-5. Competition in the first set itself. That is what a final should be like.

02: 45 PM IST: Venus was there to win the game but Serena fought back to take 5-3 lead.

02: 38 PM IST: Another break for Serena. She now leads 4-3. Some powerful strokes to win this game.

02: 35 PM IST: Serena pulls it back. It's 3-3.

02:32: PM IST: Venus in the lead 3-2. Won the set easily while serving. Serena could only manage 15 points.

# Venus serving and presently leads 30-0.

---

02:30 PM IST: Venus broken now. It's 2-2.

Advantage with Venus. Can she do it 2-2?

No service holds yet, Serena leads 2-1 after breaking a game.

02: 00 PM IST: Both Serena and Venus are on court. Moments away from beginning the match.

01:53 PM IST: At 36, Venus Williams can be the oldest to win the women's singles title but her own sister stands in her way.

01:50 PM IST: No. 2 Serena Williams will be up against No. 13 Venus Williams shortly.

They've played many times before, but who will it be that tastes victory tonight?#ausopen pic.twitter.com/HrsAZHq1Ti

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017

01:30 PM IST: The match starts at 02:00 PM IST. Stay tuned for the build up and updates...

---

Williams sisters Serena and Venus, will be up against each other for the 28th time in professional matches since 1998.

Overall, the younger sibling, Serena leads 16–11 head-to-head against her sister. Serena has played Venus 14 times in a Grand Slam singles even and 13 times in other tournaments – 11 of those clashes have been in finals.

In total, they both have met each other in eight Grand Slam tournament finals, with Serena coming out on top six times.

Talking about just the Australian Open, Serena has lifted the trophy 6 times - 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2015 - while Venus is chasing her first.

Serena, presently on level with Steffi Graf on 22 Grand Slams each, will be looking to beat the former great for her 23rd Grand Slam. Venus, on the other hand is eyeing her first Grand Slam title since Wimbledon in 2008.

Serena, Venus practicing ahead of the final:-

And right next door... sister @serenawilliams is firing up for her 8th #ausopen finals appearance pic.twitter.com/uMw8upFEM1

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017

.@Venuseswilliams limbers up ahead of her first #ausopen final since '03. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/ManTQA7lBC

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017

#Serena: "This probably is the moment of our careers so far. I never lost hope of us being able to play each other in a final" #ausopen pic.twitter.com/tjFoOs9Ms9

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017

#Venus: "So it's like two players who really, really can compete. (It) won't be an easy match." #ausopen pic.twitter.com/XP0HXEcDuG

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017

Both sisters understand that it would be a highly competitive match and despite understanding that Serena will be favourite to lift the trophy for the 7th time, it remains to be seen whether Venus can come out on top, against all odds.

Catch Live action of the Australian Open Women's singles final right here!