Venus Williams outlasted fellow American Lindsay Davenport 4-6 7-6 9-7 to win the longest Wimbledon women's singles final in history yesterday.
Venus's staying power proved the greater in a two-hour 45-minute endurance test against the top seed and world no.1, whom she also beat in the 2000 final.
She saved a match point at 4-5 in the third set before eventually breaking the resolve of Davenport with a decisive break at 8-7.
It was Venus's third Wimbledon title in all and her first grand slam triumph since the 2001 US Open.
"I have to thank God, thank you for letting me be healthy," Venus gulped as she clutched the Rosewater Dish.
"Thank you for letting my family be with me. You never know what life is going to throw at you these days."
At no.14 Venus was also the lowest seed to win the women's title at Wimbledon. The 25-year-old also won Wimbledon in 2000 and 2001 before losing the next two finals.
Davenport, the Wimbledon champion in 1999, has now failed to win a grand slam since her 2000 Australian Open triumph.
The 29-year-old took advantage of two double-faults by Venus to break her for 4-2 before breaking again.
Davenport immediately lost serve to love but Venus could not sustain her revival and Davenport made no mistake in her next service game, taking the set with a heavy serve which Venus could only net.
It was the first set Venus had lost in her run to the final.
At 4-4 in the second set Davenport was incensed when a serve from her opponent that appeared to be well wide was called in.
Davenport was momentarily rattled and had to save a set point after double-faulting in the next game before holding for 5-5.
Venus trailed 0-40, saved one break point but slipped in the backcourt to go 6-5 down, leaving Davenport to serve for the match.
The older American faltered, however, losing serve to love as Venus went for broke and she continued in the same vein to go 5-1 up in the tiebreak before taking it 7-4.
Davenport still started the third set looking the more confident and Venus cracked at 2-3, spraying a forehand out to lose serve.
By now, though, Davenport was suffering pain in her lower back and lost her next serve from leading 40-15 before leaving the court for further attention.
When she returned Davenport bravely held to go 5-4 up, leaving Venus to serve to stay in the match. She promptly double-faulted to gift Davenport a match point but saved it before holding serve.
Despite her evident suffering, Davenport kept holding serve until 7-7 when Venus finally broke her compatriot's resolve.
Serving for the match at last, Venus took victory on her second match point, leaping around the court in delight.
The previous longest women's final was in 1970 when Australian Margaret Court beat Billie Jean King of the US 14-12 11-9 in two hours 28 minutes.