LONDON (Reuters) - Defending champion Venus Williams fought back from a break down to outclass her sister Serena Williams 7-5 in the first set of the Wimbledon women's singles final on Saturday.

Serena, 26, began the final in ominous fashion producing a series of searing service returns to break the seventh seed in the opening game.

With gusting winds blowing through Centre Court, Venus, 28, often struggled with her ball toss and could have gone a double break down had Serena converted another break point in the fifth game.

But a low angled forehand volley winner got Venus out of trouble and she then suddenly found her range to level at 4-4.

In a high-quality contest, the American sisters traded pounding groundstrokes from the baseline until Venus pounced in the 12 game to take the set when Serena slapped a backhand into the net.

Venus is bidding for a fifth singles title at the grasscourt major, while Serena is targeting a third.

(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Clare Lovell)