© EPA / G Penny

The moment of victory could hardly have been in greater contrast to Mauresmo’s triumph over the third-seeded Belgian at the Australian Open in February, her only previous taste of Slam success. On that day, illness prompted Henin-Hardenne to withdraw early in the second set and the match culminated in an anti-climactic handshake at the net. At 4.13pm this afternoon after two hours and two minutes of play, Mauresmo got to experience that explosive moment of joy, and she crumpled to her knees in disbelief.

No wonder. Henin-Hardenne was in the ascendancy from the very outset, immediately relaxed and into her stride. Mauresmo had won the toss and elected to serve, amid gusting breeze. But the number one seed’s first serve was slightly uncertain – unlike the rest of the tournament, throughout which it was one of her strengths – and her decision to serve and volley was an interesting one.

Henin-Hardenne, 24, had three separate break points in that opening game, instructing herself under her breath as she walked back to the baseline: “Allez!” Mauresmo’s serve saved the first two, but the Belgian’s assault from the net converted number three. If Mauresmo did not know it already, Henin-Hardenne was demonstrating that she was a far better volleyer than Maria Sharapova, whom Mauresmo vanquished in the semi-finals.

The 27-year-old Frenchwoman appeared a little tense but came up with a backhand down the line to hold her next service game, which should have helped soothe any edginess. She bided her time, and at 2-3 got a chance to break back when Henin-Hardenne sent a forehand long. But Mauresmo’s lingering tightness saw it go begging, and the next game the French Open champion had another opening of her own. She grabbed it with the ruthless shot-making which has typified her campaign this Wimbledon fortnight, and suddenly she was serving for the set. It was a storming game, and she capped it with an ace to wrap up the set in 31 minutes.

Whatever happened in this match, of course, Wimbledon was guaranteed a new champion as neither woman had previously lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish. Indeed, this was the first final this century not to feature a Williams sister, and the first in eight years not to feature an American. Henin-Hardenne came into the match with a 5-4 career advantage over Mauresmo but they had never previously met on grass, widely regarded as Mauresmo’s best surface. Yet here she was a set down.

Many a time, a set like that first one would have signalled a second set in much the same vein for Mauresmo. But not only did she hold her own serve with apparent confidence (unlike in the first), but earned two points to break for 2-0. A great winner from Henin-Hardenne rescued the first, but she sent a forehand way long to hand over the game. When Mauresmo held, it seemed almost as if the Belgian was experiencing nerves – not something commonly associated with her. Only her volleying saved her from a double break for 0-4.

Mauresmo inched her way towards levelling the match, watching a new chance for the 5-1 double break go by. In a contest increasingly defined by mutual tension, both women were playing well below their optimum performance. Had Mauresmo seen footage of Henin-Hardenne’s semi-final against Kim Clijsters, in which she trailed by one break three times, only to emerge the straight sets victor? Maybe. At 2-4 Henin-Hardenne had two chances to break back, and a Mauresmo backhand went way long.

But, far from crumbling, the Frenchwoman was energised. She forced two chances to steal the lost break right back again, and a forehand crosscourt strike did the trick, to the visible agitation of Henin-Hardenne. It gave Mauresmo the chance to serve out the set, but the Belgian made her fight for it until Mauresmo delivered her fourth ace. It was not done easily, but it was done. The decider beckoned.

Sport’s endless capacity to produce the surprise story made the final set anyone’s guess. Plenty would have expected Henin-Hardenne – who has won at least one Slam tournament every year for the last four seasons – to romp away with the match in the second set. But it just didn’t happen; indeed, this was the first match in her last 14 Slam jousts where she surrendered so much as a set to an opponent. Would that shock her into defeat, or bounce her to victory?

Early in the third, Henin-Hardenne was once again the one to tighten up, when unforced errors brought about a 1-2 break. The iron-clad forehand with which she had played the first set was a distant memory, and the legendary Henin-Hardenne backhand would yield not one baseline winner during the entire match. Only her reflexes at the net saved a point for 1-4. Meanwhile Mauresmo was returning beautifully. At 5-4 she served for the match. A forehand volley brought up Championship point, and Henin-Hardenne sent a forehand into the net. The ultimate tournament belonged to Mauresmo, at last.