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Picture Williams can't believe she's won.

VENUS THE CHAMP AGAIN IN SW19 Click here for more post-match reaction
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Venus Williams came from match point down to beat Lindsay Davenport and win a third Wimbledon title.

The 2000 and 2001 champion triumphed 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 9-7 in an epic contest which at two hours and 45 minutes was the longest ever ladies' final in SW19.

Williams showed fantastic resolve to fend off Davenport's challenge which had looked likely to claim the title in straight sets.

Davenport served for the match at 6-5 in the second set but was forced into a decider.

That was a high-quality affair which saw the tension rise by the game.

Davenport led 4-2 but was broken back by Williams who got better as the match wore on.

The top seed then needed treatment for a back twinge at which point the momentum seemed to have swung back in Williams' favour.

However, Davenport steeled herself to lead 5-4 and then saw Williams double fault to fall match point down.

She stood firm though, a backhand winner getting her out of the crisis, and the 25-year-old pushed the score on to 7-7 before making her move.

Breaking Davenport's serve to lead 8-7, Williams then served out, clinching her first Grand Slam singles title in nearly four years when Davenport netted with a forehand.

In the process she became only the third woman in Wimbledon history to win a singles final from match point down.

An elated Williams said afterwards: "You never know what life is going to throw at you and every day I just expect the sun to come up, that's all.

"Lindsay played so well - there were so many times where I was just trying to stay in the match...I just had to bring my level up.

"There are so many stresses involved when you are on court, it's tough believe me, but I couldn't have asked for a better career."

Davenport had looked on course for the title in the early stages as Williams struggled to reproduce the form which had seen her beat Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals.

The top seed raced into a 5-2 lead in the first set before taking it 6-4.

In a tighter second set, a potential turning point arrived at 4-4 when Davenport raged as umpire Gerry Armstrong for failing to spot what was a clear wide serve from Williams.

She told him: ""If I did my job that bad, I wouldn't be out here."

Not surprisingly Davenport seemed affected by that incident and in the next game she faced set point.

To her credit she saved it and the 29-year-old broke in the next game but couldn't serve out and so a tie-break resulted.

Williams raced ahead in it 5-1, Davenport got both mini-breaks back but then lost two more points on her own serve to ensure the contest would go the distance.

If was to be some distance.

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