Six years ago she made an inspiring run to her first Grand Slam final in Wimbledon, but came away without the title - and on Saturday, six years later, Marion Bartoli righted all of those wrongs, playing a near-flawless final against Sabine Lisicki to win the biggest prize there is.
After a scratchy start to the match - she lost serve in the opening game, double faulting on break point - Bartoli broke back right away in the next game to even things at 1-all, then ran off the next five games too, eventually tucking away the 30-minute opening frame, 6-1, on a Lisicki forehand into the net.
Lisicki temporarily stopped the momentum, holding serve to open the second set, but Bartoli went on another run from there, winning five games in a row to build a 5-1 second set lead, then bringing up three match points on Lisicki's serve in that game. It was looking a lot like a foregone conclusion.
It wasn't the end just yet though - Lisicki fought off all three of those match points, one with a winner, one with an unreturnable serve, one with a Bartoli backhand error - then held serve, broke and held serve again. Things were looking dubious for Bartoli - a 61 51 lead was now cut to a 61 54 lead.
But, serving for her first Grand Slam title, Bartoli stepped up to the baseline one last time and served up a love game, firing an ace out wide, chalk flying up, on her fourth match point. It was over, 61 64.
"I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would win Wimbledon, but even so maybe with a backhand winner - not an ace!" Bartoli, a beaten finalist in 2007, joked on court.
"I have been practising my serves for so long," she added before tearfully thanking her father, who was previously her long-standing coach but now a mere spectator in the stands.
Lisicki acknowledged that she had failed to manage the pressure of her first Grand Slam final.
"I think I was just overwhelmed by this whole situation, but credit to Marion she has been in this situation before and handled it so well," Lisicki said afterwards.
"She has been around for so long and deserves it, and I hope I will get the chance again," she added, having regained her composure before bursting into tears again.
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