Williams jumps for joy after clinching victory.

By Andy Schooler

Venus Williams started the slight favourite in the 2005 ladies' singles final at Wimbledon.

She was taking on Lindsay Davenport in a battle of former champions.

The players had to wait anxiously for the delayed men's semi-final to finish before walking on to court at around 2.45pm - 45 minutes after the scheduled start.

When play did get under way, it looked as if serve would dominate.

That was no surprise, given these were two of the biggest servers in the women's game.

The first alarm bells rang in game three when two double faults from Williams helped Davenport bring up the first break point.

The first was missed but another soon followed and when Venus sent a shot long, Davenport had an early advantage.

The big question pre-match was whether Williams could reproduce the form which had accounted for Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals.

And the early answer was no, Davenport finding her rhythm from the back of the court to pressurise her opponent.

She soon had a 4-2 lead and with Williams having problems with her first serve - her percentage was down at 57 - Davenport earned more break points in the seventh game.

She needed only one, leaving the top seed serving for the first set.

However, Williams found her range, producing a couple of fine returns to get one of the breaks back and reduce the deficit to 5-3.

When Williams held to love she had won eight consecutive points and Davenport must have been feeling the pressure when she stepped up to serve for the set for a second time.

The run of points ended at nine as Davenport steeled herself, serving out to 15 to clinch the set 6-4.

That left the top seed just a set away from claiming her first Grand Slam title for more than five years.

Williams was taken to deuce in the opening game of the second set but held on.

The 14th seed's problem was making an impact on the Davenport serve, but she managed to force her first break point of the match in the fourth game.

A poor shot into the net saw it quickly disappear and Davenport duly held for 2-2.

Williams also fended off two break points in her next service game as the set progressed to 4-3.

Davenport's situation was almost exactly the same as in this year's Australian Open final against Venus' sister Serena. Then she had led by a set and looked in control but ended up losing in disappointing fashion.

On that occasion a wild volley had disrupted Davenport's rhythm. This time it threatened to be a erroneous line call.

A Williams serve was well wide but was called good, much to Davenport's disgust - she told umpire Gerry Armstrong: "If I did my job that bad, I wouldn't be out here."

Williams held for 5-4 which left Davenport in a tricky situation, fuming but needing to hold to stay in the set.

It didn't look good when a double fault brought up set point, but to her credit, Davenport won the next three points to level at 5-5.

Williams then threw in a poor service game which ended with her on the floor both physically and metaphorically - Davenport was left serving for the title.

However, Williams wasn't beaten yet and she produced her best game of the match to break back and force a tie-break.

The shrieking from Williams had now returned after her lacklustre start and she was in the zone as she raced into a 5-1 lead in the breaker, pulling her opponent around the court before hitting winners.

Davenport retrieved both mini-breaks but then lost the next two points on her own serve to lose the breaker 7-4 and having been just a game away from the trophy, the world number one was into a final set.

Davenport gained a crucial hold in the opening game of the decider. Could Venus maintain her high level from the end of set two?

It appeared so, but Davenport also upped a gear in tne next game and with some brutal baseline hitting twice earned a break point.

Williams saved them both, one with a well-timed ace, and the tension continued to rise.

Two aces from Davenport helped her move 2-1 ahead - she had the advantage of serving first in this decider.

The nerves must have been building as the set progressed on serve to 3-2.

Williams appeared to be feeling the pressure in game six falling 15-40 down.

One break point was saved but on the next Venus sent a forehand wide to leave herself with an uphill task.

Davenport led 40-15 in the next game but lost five straight points to concede the break immediately - and then called for the trainer.

She had felt a back twinge at the end of the sixth game and received off-court treatment.

She soon returned to continue, but her movement was hindered as Venus looked to push her wide at every opportunity.

Serving at 4-4 was always going to be a test, but Davenport showed the power was still available to her, out-rallying her opponent and showed her resolve to move 5-4 ahead - and again she was just one game from the title.

The pressure moved on to Williams as she stepped up to serve.

At 30-30 she felt it, double faulting to give Davenport championship point.

However, a fine backhand winner saved it and a few points later it was 5-5.

Davenport appeared to have loosened up and showed her nerves were fine with a hold to 30 to leave Williams serving to stay in the match once more.

Again she was taken to deuce, but again she held and at 6-6 the atmosphere was electric.

With Davenport's depth of shot outstanding, she was showing few signs of folding and another hold made it 7-6.

Williams needed to win a thrilling 25-stroke rally in the next game to fend off more advances from the 29-year-old, but win it she did and levelled at 7-7.

Cracks appeared in the Davenport service for the first time in a long while in the 15th game of this epic set.

Davenport saved two break points but when Williams produced a stunning crosscourt forehand to bring up another, there was nothing she could do about it and the 2000 and 2001 champion was left serving for a third Wimbledon title.

And she didn't disappoint, clinching the title on her second match point when Davenport dumped a forehand into the net.