World No.1 Serena Williams has successfully defended her Australian Open crown after recording a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory over Justine Henin in Saturday night's final at Rod Laver Arena.
It was her 12th Grand Slam title and her fifth at Melbourne Park to become the first player in the Open era to win five Australian Open titles (although Australia's Margaret Court holds the all-time record of 11 prior to the Open era).
The victory sees her move level with her idol Billie Jean King at sixth on the all-time Grand Slam winners' list, still 12 behind Court.
Henin couldn't match the efforts of fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters (2009 US Open) and Australia's Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1977 Australian Open) as the only unranked women to win a Grand Slam title.
But after spending 20 months out of the sport, Henin knows she has what it takes to get back to the top after pushing the current No.1 to the limit.
The first meeting in a Grand Slam final between the two best players of the past decade lived up to the billing with both players producing a wonderful array of shots in two hours and seven minutes of high-quality tennis.
Despite Williams starting the match with an ace, it was Henin who had all the early opportunities to break serve. After Henin fluffed chances in the first two games, Williams got the first break in the fourth game.
Henin had chances to immediately break back, but again missed her chance before finally breaking through on her seventh attempt in the seventh game.
Williams pushed ahead 5-4 and then broke the Henin serve to clinch the first set in 51 minutes.
Henin lifted in the second set and achieved the first break in the third game, only to hand it straight back to Williams the very next game.
Games went with serve until Henin suddenly caught fire in the seventh game. She reeled off 15 points in a row to seal the second set and take a 1-0 lead in the decider.
With all the momentum behind her, it looked like Henin's fairytale comeback to tennis would end with her eighth Grand Slam title.
But Williams had other ideas and got the crucial first break in the third game, only for Henin to once again break straight back.
Williams responded to break again in the fifth game and then again in the seventh before sealing the match with a crosscourt backhand on her second championship point.
It caps off a remarkable fortnight for Williams, who clinched the doubles title with sister Venus on Friday night.