The competitive fire is still burning in Venus Williams and, unlike some of her contemporaries who extinguished their careers early, the five-time Wimbledon champion plans to stick around until at least the 2012 Olympics. Having watched rivals like Justine Henin take early retirement at the top of their games, the 29-year-old Williams is still hungry for success after contesting seven of the nine finals at the All England Club since the turn of the millennium.

“I want to play the (2012) Olympics here,� she said on Sunday. “It’s really not that far off. So I definitely would love to be playing the Olympics.�

She can equal Billie Jean King’s tally of six Wimbledon singles titles over the next fortnight and the third seed was relishing the prospect of retaining the title that she won 12 months ago without dropping a set. “It’s fantastic to look up and see a good number by your name. It’s great to be a part of history,� she said.