PHOTO OF THE DAY

Serena Williams takes a close look at the Wimbledon plate she just won by defeating her sister Venus 7-6 (4), 6-3.

GRAND SLAM SNIPPETS

• Vera Douchevina of Russia will take on compatriot Maria Sharapova in the girls' singles final. The Siberian-born Sharapova, 15, lives in Bradenton, Fla., and attends Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy. Todd Reid of Australia, who lives in Sarasota, Fla., will play Lamine Ouahab of Algeria in the boys' singles final. Ouahab, who is based in Barcelona, Spain, has not advanced past the quarterfinals in any previous junior Grand Slam. Reid was runner-up at the junior Australian Open this year. • The royal box at Wimbledon for the women's final Saturday included former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; the U.S. ambassador to Britain, William Farish; Maria Bueno, a former three-time Wimbledon champion in singles and five times in doubles; 1977 women's champ Virginia Wade; and Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee. • Mike Morrisey, a 33-year-old graduate in medieval history at the University of Surrey, will be the chair umpire for the men's singles final Sunday between Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian. It will be Morrisey's fourth men's singles final at Wimbledon -- he did previous finals in 1994, 1998 and 2000. He first officiated at Wimbledon at the age of 17 in 1987.<

Kicking back
Lleyton Hewitt had a day off before the final Sunday, and says he'll "chill out'' and try to watch or listen to coverage of his beloved Adelaide Crows team in Australian Rules football.

"I haven't watched many videos,'' Hewitt said. "Footy is on this weekend back home. (I will) get on the Internet and cheer my boys on.''

Hewitt said Pat Rafter, who lost in the finals the last two years at Wimbledon, called him from Australia on Friday morning to wish him well.

"It's fantastic that I've been able to carry it through this year, just as Pat has done the last few years,'' Hewitt said. Rafter is on an extended break from tennis.

On the lawn
How about a little sympathy? British newspapers Saturday weren't sympathetic toward local hope Tim Henman, who lost for the fourth time in five years in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

"Wet, wet, wet ... no, not just the Wimbledon weather, just choker Tim,'' the Mirror tabloid said on its front page after Henman's defeat against top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt. It continued on the back: "Four semifinals, four-time loser. He blew it again Tim.''

Henman was trying to become the first British male champion since Fred Perry in 1936.

The Express, like many other papers, featured photographs of Henman's pregnant wife Lucy reacting to her husband's defeat.

"It all ends in tears,'' the headline read. "Hurricane Hewitt ends Henman's bid for crown.''

The Guardian criticized Henman's remodeled all-around game under new coach Larry Stefanki.

"So the Model II Henman has no major weapon, just a nice game,'' the Guardian wrote. "These days, when he serves, he peers over the net like a lost child looking for his parents. Henman was out-psyched and out-played. The semi-man.''

"Extiminated,'' said The Sun. "It's the Hend, Tim goes out.''

The Times was a little more sympathetic.

"We ought to appreciate Henman while he is still about. ... There's nobody treading on his heels. Not in this country.''

Anna's out: Anna Kournikova was a double loser Saturday.

Nearly two weeks after being eliminated in the opening round of singles, Kournikova and Chanda Rubin lost their semifinal doubles match 6-7 (3), 6-0, 6-3 to Serena and Venus Williams on Centre Court.

Less than an hour later, Kournikova was out on Court 1 with Jonas Bjorkman playing a quarterfinal mixed doubles match against Mahesh Bhupathi and Elena Likhovtseva. Kournikova double-faulted twice on break points in the second set as she and Bjorkman lost 6-4, 6-2.

OVERHEARD
SERENA WILLIAMS On potential sponsorship: "I sure am worth major bank. I definitely am. I'm really exciting, I smile a lot, I win a lot and I am really sexy."				VENUS WILLIAMS Advice to Serena on the trophy ceremony: "No one told me the first year that you have to curtsy, so I was just running around like a fool. I made it a point to tell her that you have to curtsy."				DAVID NALBANDIAN After reaching the final: "These are the best weeks of my life. This is very great for me. I'm very happy. I don't have too much time to enjoy it, but I'm going to try ... a little bit. For me, this is a dream.''