Another Grand Slam another near miss, but Lindsay Davenport is not yet ready to call it a day. The 29-year-old American's agonising 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 9-7 loss to Venus Williams in Saturday's Wimbledon showcase will go down as one of the greatest women's finals of all time.
But that is small consolation for a player who last won a Grand Slam title at the Australian Open five-and-a-half years ago.
It does not get any easier, Davenport said after her second loss in a Grand Slam final this year.
"It's tough to try to put it into words right now. Obviously I'm extremely disappointed," she said.
"But I feel like I gave it everything I had out there and every time the chips were down for Venus she played unbelievable."
Defeat or not, it was a more upbeat Davenport that left Wimbledon than compared to last year when she lost in the semi-finals to eventual winner Maria Sharapova.
On that occasion, she gave every indication that she had played in her last Wimbledon.
But a change of heart later in the year and injuries to several of the top players out of the blue cleared a path for her and she has been ranked world No.1 since October 18.
This year, she is keeping her options firmly open and what does look certain is that she will continue playing at least until the end of the year.
"It's been a great year," she insisted. "It's hard because ultimately people look at it and say it's a disappointment because I was in two Grand Slam finals and didn't win.
"But I'm playing better now than I have in years. I'm not going to give up on the opportunities that present themselves to me.
"I've got the US Open in six weeks and hopefully this will encourage me to keep going this summer."
Defiant words in the face of the passing years, but it is clear that her days at the top and in tennis in general are rapidly running out.
She married investment banker Jon Leach in April 2003 and she has made it clear that she has plans to soon start a family.
And at 29, with a professional career dating back 12 years, the aches and pains of top class tennis are starting to catch up with her.
A lower back injury required extended medical treatment in the third set against Williams and she was already taking pain-killers for other assortment ailments.
"I was already pretty pain-killed out before I went on the court," she said. "It wasn't advisable to take any more.
"Just general aches and pains at 29," she replied to a question on what the ailments were.
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