Venus Wins a Thriller

Venus Williams sensationally won her third Wimbledon championship by beating Lindsay Davenport yesterday in one of the most exciting women's finals in the tournament's long history.

Davenport appeared to be winning the match but in the middle of the eighth game of the third set, she retired for treatment after injuring herself at the start of the rally. But the number one seed returned to pick up her game in magnificent fashion and seemed to be on the brink of victory.

However, Williams fought back heroically and at 7-7 broke Davenport's serve. In the final game, Williams went to two championship points before Davenport smashed the ball into the net to give her opponent the match.

Davenport had made a defiant start, quickly taking the first set 6-4 in just 33 minutes against her fellow American Venus Williams but then lost the second.

Davenport was hoping to avenge her defeat at the hands of her opponent in the 2000 final, but 25-year-old Williams, who was aiming for her third Wimbledon win, maintained her improvement after a sluggish start and continued to give her opponent the runaround, taking the second set 7-6, after winning the tie-breaker 7-4.