Amelie Mauresmo, 2006 Wimbledon champion!

I have wanted to write that heading for years, and now that I have done it, it feels just as great as I thought it would. In a three-set, "old-fashioned" serve-and-volley high-quality final, Mauresmo overcame a dismal first set to defeat French Open winner Justine Henin-Hardenne, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

I never stopped believing that Mauresmo could win Wimbledon; grass is her best surface. To her credit, she stuck to serve-and-volley as her chief tactic throughout the tournament, and also relied on her beautiful backhand, her slices, and her resolve--yes, the head case of the WTA now has resolve up there with the best of them. In her acceptance speech, she said: "I don't want anyone to talk about my nerves anymore." Don't worry, Amelie--I don't think they will.

Mauresmo defeated Maria Sharapova in a three-set semifinal that saw her lose control of her serve in the second set (after a near-perfect first set, with only one unforced error--a double fault), then charge back in the third to win handily. Henin-Hardenne, however, is a much tougher opponent for Mauresmo. Like Mauresmo, she can kill an opponent at the net, and her instincts and reflexes are often awe-inspiring. In the Wimbledon final, however, the famous Belgian backhand broke down, and, in the end--after winning a less than attractive second set--Mauresmo held on to her serve to dominate. In the final set, her service game was remarkable. She is the first Frenchwoman to win Wimbledon since Suzanne Lenglen won the last of her six chamionships in 1925.

What a treat to see two top-notch players play a real grass court game on centre court. Younger players, take note: Serve-and-volley is not dead; it is beautiful.

This match was especially tense because of the controversy which occurred at the 2006 Australian Open, which Mauresmo won when Henin-Hardenne retired near the beginning of the second set, denying Mauresmo the joy of her first Grand Slam championship point. Both players said they had put the incident behind them, but I cannot help but think that Mauresmo used some anger to her advantage in overcoming Henin-Hardenne today.

I wanted a final between Mauresmo and Henin-Hardenne, and I wanted a Mauresmo victory. It's nice to get everything you want.