By Simon Austin BBC Sport at Wimbledon

How the match unfolded

Lindsay Davenport completed a three-set victory over Amelie Mauresmo on Friday to move into her third Wimbledon final.

The top seed had been leading her French opponent 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-4) 5-3 when rain brought an early end to proceedings on Thursday.

Mauresmo held serve to love in the first game on Friday, but Davenport cruised through the next for victory.

Davenport now plays compatriot Venus Williams - a repeat of the 2000 final, which Williams won in straight sets.

The match had been switched to Court One on Thursday after being delayed by heavy rain during the afternoon.

The duo exchanged two breaks each in an exciting first set and serve was dropped seven times in the ensuing tiebreak, which Mauresmo edged 7-5.

When the French third seed broke to lead 4-3 in the second set, she looked poised for her second Grand Slam final.

She played really well and I was just hanging in there at stage Lindsay Davenport

But Davenport fought back tenaciously, and familiar doubts about Mauresmo's big-match temperament re-surfaced, as the American broke back.

The world number one then held her nerve better to control the second-set tiebreak and level the match

The third set went with serve until the eighth game, when Davenport upped her game to pressure Mauresmo into dropping her serve despite saving three break points.

Davenport then served out for 5-3, but the covers came back on as the rain fell heavily, leaving Mauresmo to resume battle back on Court One on Friday.

It's just very disappointing - I really felt I was able to win this match Amelie Mauresmo

Davenport, who won the title in 1999, admitted she had been "hanging on" at times during the match.

"It was so tough - I was down a lot of the way," Davenport said.

"I was down late in the second as well. She played really well and I was just hanging in there at stages. She's a great grass-court player."

Mauresmo was left ruing a missed chance after her defeat.

Mauresmo's first serve Enlarge Image

She said: "It's just very disappointing - I really felt I was able to win this match. I set out to play aggressive tennis and that's what I did.

"The key was the serve - I didn't hit enough first serves in and was not effective enough in this area. It was a big difference between Lindsay and me."