Williams - silenced her critics (Getty Images).

By Bill Pierce, PA Sport

Venus Williams was adamant she had nothing to prove - but her 2005 Wimbledon success will have silenced the doubters who thought the twice former champion had let her spectacular tennis career take a back seat.

Plagued by injuries to ankle and knee, 2004 was a write-off and 2005 was looking as if it would go the same way as she struggled to climb much higher in the world rankings than her recent slide to 18th.

The turning point was one few would have predicted, with the 25-year old who had dominated women's tennis for nearly three years at the start of the millennium - winning two titles in a row at Wimbledon and four Grand Slam crowns in all - now playing a quiet second fiddle to sister Serena.

She went off to a comparatively low-key tournament in Istanbul in May still searching for her first title in four years - and finally pulled it off.

There were some cynics who wondered how she could spare the time away from her art, interior-design, fashion, poetry, writing and film-making.

It did not look that much of a feat, taking it as she did in the final against up-and-coming 16-year-old Czech Nicole Vaidisova.

But it had the confidence-boosting effect of showing her she still had the consistency and desire to win again.

She had already ended her dire run against Serena by pounding out a 6-1 7-6 victory in Miami over her now also injury-troubled sister after six defeats in a row but then came defeat in the final against tennis' new golden girl Maria Sharapova.

And even after her trot back to triumph, more questions were asked when she went down in the French Open against 15-year-old Bulgarian Sesil Karatantcheva - 6-1 in the third.

So struggling through the first two rounds at the All England Club by the girl who blasted away all-comers here in 2000 and 2001 brought the quiz about her surviving ambition.

"I don't even think that way," she said wearily. "I still love playing, still have fun out there when I'm fully fit and playing well but there are other things in life.

"There are so many things I enjoy, so many things I like to be involved with. But with tennis it is just like my dad says - stay relaxed and have fun."

Fun, it seems, goes out of the window when Venus and Serena meet on the court.

And it must be a strange feeling for their father and somewhat unorthodox coach Richard.

Now Serena, 24, who has surpassed Venus and gone on to win seven Grand Slam titles but who pulled out of the French Open with a fractured ankle this year, is facing the same doubts as Venus about her future in the game - especially after the shock third-round defeat by veteran Jill Craybas which killed off the prospect of another family showdown at Wimbledon.

Venus sailed through as it happened and after pummelling Mary Pierce she produced that memorable revenge win over Sharapova in the semi-final which many described as one of the best women's clashes at Wimbledon for many years.

Her final success - another entertaining showdown - was the icing on the cake.