Sunday, July 3 2005 12:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Venus Williams won her third Wimbledon title on Saturday (July 2, 2005) 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 roller coaster 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 tail-spinned 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.