It was not just her second grand slam title, coming four years after a triumph in the same arena. She was the first unseeded and unranked female grand slam champion. And Clijsters became the first mother to win a major since 1980.

Clijsters was a wild card: since coming out of a two-year retirement in March, she had only competed in two tournaments, and had yet to secure a ranking.

The final saw Clijsters beat Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 6-3 in 93 minutes. But her title was marked by her hard-won victories over Venus Williams in the fourth round, and Serena Williams in the semi-final. The latter game descended into farce as Williams, just one point away from defeat, was docked a penalty point for her threatening, profanity- laced tirade at a line judge, and the lost the match without another shot being played.

It could, incredibly, have been even better for Flemish tennis. Yanina Wickmayer, a previously unheralded 19-year old from Diest was just one game away from meeting Clijsters in the final. The teenager, who had not previously progressed beyond the second round of a grand slam event, was only blocked in the semi-finals by Wozniacki.