Venus Williams [Images] trampled all over the girl with the golden shoes on Thursday, ending Maria Sharapova's [Images] glittering reign as Wimbledon champion.

The 18-year-old Russian huffed, puffed and screamed the house down on Centre Court, but was finally silenced by the brute force of her opponent, losing 7-6, 6-1.

"I thought we played a really good match," said the crestfallen Siberian-born teenager, who stunned the tennis world last year by outclassing Serena Williams [Images] in the final.

"Today it went to the better person. But I'll do everything I can to hold the trophy up again."

Venus, who has now won all five of her Wimbledon semi-finals, is now just one victory away from claiming an unlikely hat-trick of Wimbledon titles.

With doubts over her desire to continue playing and a lowly seeding of 14, she was written off at the start of the tournament but has suddenly and dramatically rediscovered the form that won her the title here in 2000 and 2001.

"There were times when I was disappointed because I knew I could play better," the 25-year-old said. "But all things in good time, everyone has their moment in the sun."

In the final she will play either world number one Lindsay Davenport [Images] or French third seed Amelie Mauresmo. Davenport, who she beat in the 2000 final, was leading 5-3 in the decider when torrential rain brought an early end to the day's play.

Whoever comes through that on Friday, the sight of Venus crunching winners and retrieving everything thrown at her with telescopic arms would have made uncomfortable viewing.

Second seed Sharapova had won her last 22 consecutive matches on grass, rolling over every obstacle put in her way with her relentless power hitting.

Where previous opponents have buckled under the pressure, however, Sharapova suddenly found her best shots whizzing back past her outstretched racket.

The trademark pout looked a little less sure, the fist pumps even more restrained.

By the end, she even began to look like a little girl lost, a shy smile breaking out on her set features after Venus squandered her first match point with an improbable forehand error with the court at her mercy.

"It was kind of funny because I thought it was absolutely over," she said. "I was almost saying hello to the person watching the match."

Despite her defeat there was no disgrace in Sharapova's display and she surely will take over as world number one before the year is through.

LIGHT DRIZZLE

After infuriatingly light drizzle kept the players stewing in the locker room for more than four hours, they produced a rip-roaring first set.

The restless showcourt crowd had earlier been entertained by five-times Wimbledon champion Billie Jean King who was interviewed during the long rain break.

Great champion that she was in the 1970s, the tennis she later witnessed came from a different planet.

With her gold speckled trainers flashing across the grass, Sharapova launched herself into every shot and forced Venus to save two break points in the opening game.

Venus blazed back, streaking ahead 0-40 on Sharapova's first service game, only for the gritty Russian to hold with a flurry of spectacular winners.

The American weathered the storm and moved ominously into a 5-2 lead and then had two set points at 5-3. Sharapova fought both off, one with a breathtaking running forehand, and the match turned round as she broke back to force a tiebreak.

Playing at her maximum, however, she blew up in the tiebreak, losing it 7-2 with a backhand error and suddenly the red warning lights were flashing.

Venus broke to love at the start of the second set and after hanging on grimly to her next service game, Sharapova's iron core began to melt.

At 5-1 Venus blazed her first match point over the baseline, but she sealed victory, and her first Grand Slam final for two years, when Sharapova hit a backhand wide.

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