Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

Serena Williams reacts during her Wimbledon semifinal win over Elena Dementieva on Thursday.

The match might very well have hinged on a key point, when Dementieva led 4-3 in the second set and Serena double-faulted to 30-40. One more point, and Dementieva would serve for the match. But Serena hit a forehand winner that barely — we’re talking less than a quarter-inch — landed on the chalk on a sideline. It was one of only seven forehand winners for Serena.

“My forehand didn’t show up today. I think he went to Hawaii,” she would say later, finally able to smile about it. “It’s always good to win when one of your strokes is on vacation.”

Her serve was most decidedly on the scene. Wimbledon’s official statistics for aces date only to 2000 on all courts, and to 1995 on the show courts, and they show no woman hitting more than 19 in a match until Thursday.

“I wasn’t sure if it’s Serena or Andy Roddick on the other side,” Dementieva said.

Serving for the second set at 6-5, Serena erased four break points — Dementieva blew one with a bad backhand — and had four aces in the game, including at 122 mph and 114 mph on the last two points.

There was still nearly an hour left to play, and at the end, Serena barely was better.

“That was intense. I mean, Dementieva was there mentally, physically,” said the sisters’ mother, Oracene Price, who helps Richard coach their daughters. “Serena was fortunate to get out of that one.”

Coming off the court afterward, Serena said, “I’m going to come out and watch Venus and cheer her on and hope for the best.”

Alas, she never made it to the Centre Court stands to support big sis. Venus was too dominant, and finished too quickly.

Here is all you need to know: Venus compiled 16 winners, one unforced error.

“She’s just too good on grass,” Safina said. “She gave me a pretty good lesson today.”

Now two sisters who were taught the game by their parents will meet on tennis’ most famous lawn one more time to settle a Wimbledon championship.

“We both play such a similar game,” said the 29-year-old Venus, who is 15 months older than Serena. “I mean, we had the same teacher.”

Serena beat Venus in the 2002-03 all-in-the-family finals at the All England Club; Venus won last year.

“Let’s just say,” Mom noted, “they take home all the money.”

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