What made the victory ever more remarkable is that Williams was seeded 14th entering the tournament and she achieved another record by being the lowest-seeded victor to date. Moreover, at one point in the second set she stared down the barrel of defeat when Davenport was serving for the match. Not only did Williams break Davenport’s serve in straight points, she went on to win three of the first point in the tiebreaker, eventually forcing a third set. She proved to herself and to the world, that she has a lion’s heart.
We all felt like crying when Venus Williams broke down with tears of joy on Saturday after her come-from-behind victory at Wimbledon 2005. Williams crushed Lindsay Davenport after a three-set match that shattered the record for the longest women’s final game.
What made the victory ever more remarkable is that Williams was seeded 14th entering the tournament and she achieved another record by being the lowest-seeded victor to date. Moreover, at one point in the second set she stared down the barrel of defeat when Davenport was serving for the match. Not only did Williams break Davenport’s serve in straight points, she went on to win three of the first point in the tiebreaker, eventually forcing a third set.
Williams youth – she is 25 – eventually worked in her favor as she prevailed 4-6, 7-6 (4), 9-7. It is her third Wimbledon title and first Grand Slam title in nearly four years. Williams became the first woman in 7 decades to win after facing a match point in the final. Davenport was the top-seeded player.
Asked after the game about critics who had contended she never ever would regain her championship form, she said, “I am alive. So long as I’m alive, I can accomplish anything.� She danced around the court like a school girl after her impressive triumph.
“It’s been a tough two years. It’s been a long time coming for her,â€? Oracene Price, Williams’ mother said, after the game. The last time she reached the final was in 2003 when she played against her younger sister Serena through abdominal muscle tear and was crushed. In the meantime, the family faced tragedy when step sister Yetunde Price was murdered in the drive-by shooting two years ago.
The victory brought the best out of Williams who trailed throughout the match. “I just spent so much time behind that the only time I think I was in front was when I won the match,” Williams said. She proved to herself and to the world, that she has a lion’s heart.
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