LONDON, July 2: Venus Williams won her third Wimbledon title on Saturday when Lindsay Davenport saw her championship dream sabotaged by a crippling back injury just when she sensed victory in the longest women’s final in history.

Williams won 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 9-7 but the heartbroken 29-year-old Davenport was left cursing her fate after a rollercoaster of a final.

The world number one had served for the match at 6-5 in the second set, and then needed treatment off court for the lower back injury just when she had broken to lead 4-2 in the decider.

Williams then saved a match point in the 10th game of the final set before she surged to a dramatic win after 2hr 45min on court.

The 25-year-old, whose career had tailspinned into a slump since she last made a Grand Slam final here in 2003, also became the lowest seeded player, at 14, to be crowned Wimbledon women’s champion.

Williams collected her 33rd career title and fifth Grand Slam to add to her Wimbledon and US Open titles in 2000 and 2001.

But in the early stages of the final, she was completely outplayed by Davenport who had been chasing her second title to add to her 1999 victory.

The top seed had cruised through the first set and had even served for the title at 6-5 in the second set before Williams mounted her fightback.

Davenport, the top seed, had gone into the final with a 14-12 career lead over Williams but had lost to her younger opponent in their three previous meetings here including the 2000 final.

It was Davenport who settled the quicker taking advantage of two double faults from Williams to break in the third game to edge ahead 2-1.

Williams struggled to impose herself and was broken again when Davenport hit a deep, running volley to lead 5-2.

She clung on in the first set by breaking back to love and then held without conceding a point to trail 4-5.

But Davenport recomposed herself to take the opener after 33 minutes when the subdued Williams could only find the net with a sloppy forehand volley.

It was the first set that Williams had dropped in the tournament this year.

Williams, bidding to become the lowest seeded woman, at 14, to take the Wimbledon title, served a love game to lead 2-1 in the second set and then had a break point to go to 3-1.

Davenport coolly fought off the danger and then had two break points of her own in the fifth game which her opponent, despite serving up her fifth and sixth double faults, duly saved to lead 3-2.

For the first time in the final, Williams began to give full range to her vocal chords and the high decibel level helped her reach a 4-3 lead.

Davenport then broke to lead 6-5 but failed to serve out for the championship when she dropped serve to send the set into the tiebreak which Williams snatched to level the tie after 87 minutes.

Williams saved two break points in the second game but was powerless to resist Davenport’s power on the ground as the top seed broke to lead 4-2.

But Davenport began to feel her injury and handed the advantage straight back to Williams in the seventh game.

After leaving the court to receive treatment on her lower back injury, she returned only to see Williams level the set at 4-4.

Incredibly, Davenport held on to lead 5-4.

Williams served up her ninth double fault to hand Davenport a match point in the tenth game which was saved with a crushing forehand.

Davenport then fought off two break points in the 15th game but was powerless to avoid slipping 7-8 down.

A rejuvenated Williams carved out three championship points but wasted the first with a 10th double fault.

She wasn’t to be denied and she took the crown when an exhausted Davenport netted a forehand.—AFP