The amazing Williams sisters wrote an exciting new page in tennis history yesterday when they marched through to meet each other in a mouth-watering Wimbledon semi-final.

First Serena demolished fellow American Lisa Raymond 6-2 6-0 on Court One in a one-sided quarter-final lasting just 41 minutes.

Then she passed latecomers still filing in expecting to see her match and dashed over to Centre Court to watch big sister Venus battle through a compelling clash with world number one Martina Hingis.

Venus eventually triumphed 6-3 4-6 6-4 in a match as competitive and combative as tennis gets.

In the other semi-final Jelena Dokic, who beat Magui Serna 6-3 6-2, will face defending champion Lindsay Davenport, the 6-7 (4/7) 6-4 6-0 conqueror of Monica Seles.

But July 4, American Independence Day, will be remembered as the day the Williams phenomenon - two sisters who rose from a Los Angeles ghetto to tennis greatness - truly earned their Stars and Stripes.

They are the first sisters to meet in the last four at Wimbledon since Maud Watson beat Lilian in the inaugural final of 1884.

And the first sisters to meet at Wimbledon in any round since Gail Sherriff-Chaufreau defeated sister Carol in the second round in 1966.

That is the remarkable extent of their feat, but with respect to the Watsons and the Sherriffs neither would have lived with the Williams, who are simply taking women's tennis to new frontiers of power and athleticism.

And Venus maintained it was just the beginning of the greatness for which the Williams have always thought they were destined since they were toddlers.

''We always believed we would meet in a final or semi-final because our parents told us that,'' said Venus. ''That's what we were working for. That's how we visualised it.

''We were always taught to believe we were the best, even if we weren't. We feel we are the best. But under all circumstances we've always believed it.

''You come into a match, into a tournament and you believe that no-one is better. As a competitor there is no way you should believe that someone is better than you.

''I just hope I'll be able to play better than Serena. She's really been blazing her opponents, no mercy. I want to go in with that same attitude.''

The sisters will practise together today, though dad and coach Richard has not decided yet whether he will watch their semi-final.

''He'll probably say 'Go Venus, Go Serena', said Venus, who at 20 is two years the elder.

It is Serena, however, who has already won a Grand Slam title. She is the defending US Open champion but both are determined their momentous semi-final will end in nothing but sisterly love.

''One of us will be bitter,'' said Venus. ''But not to the degree usually if you lost a semi-final. One of us will be in the final. That will be great. We're always happy for each other.''

It was a sentiment echoed by Serena. ''Today was one of the best matches of my career,'' she said. ''I played pretty well the whole way through.

''I'm feeling very excited, very happy, like I can make anything happen.

''There is no sibling rivalry between the two of us. It's like I want to win but if I don't win I'm sure I'm going to be sad, go home, work on a couple of things and see what I can do better. It's just like a regular match.

''Tennis is just a game. Family is forever. I can only play tennis for 10 years. Ten years from now I don't think I'll be playing. I don't want to ruin something that should last a lifetime versus something that just lasts a couple of years.''

And Serena promised this time there would be no cheating as apparently was the case when the two used to play each other as youngsters.

''Yes, Serena was a cheater,'' said Venus, with a chuckle. ''I just rolled with it. It's tough to argue with Serena because she was so good at arguing, so good at cheating, it was no use.''

To which Serena admitted: ''I did have a problem with cheating when I was younger. But Venus has always been so calm, like a monotone type person.

''Whereas I'm on the other end of the stick. I'm really excited, always going crazy. We really balance each other out, especially when we are playing each other.''

It will be the eighth time sisters have competed against each other in a Grand Slam and it might interest Venus to know that the elder one has always triumphed.

Davenport's victory, meanwhile, gave the United States three women in the semi-finals.

And the defending champion said: ''I'm so happy to get through and so proud of how I hung in there and how I held my nerve to stay focused.