Call it a desire for justification but in this memorable year, when the long campaign for equal prize-money at Wimbledon became a fact of life, surely more was required from a women's singles final than this lacklustre victory for Venus Williams. But take nothing away from the champion, who should be lauded for winning the fourth title that puts her higher up an esteemed list in which only Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf have a greater collection of trophies from the All England Club in the Open era.
Williams, ranked 31 in the world and named the 23rd seed here, achieved her 6-4 6-1 win over the unconventional and distinctly unexpected Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, the lowest-seeded player to reach a Wimbledon final. It is another notable accomplishment from the elder competitive sister of the family that again proved to those who doubt their commitment to tennis that they can never be underestimated.
However, this was supposedly not just the showpiece match of female tennis, a sport that once again has received a huge cash boost in this fortnight with the news that the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships will have prize money commensurate to the men's Masters Cup. It was also an opportunity to celebrate the wisdom of the decision by the All England Club to finally bow to demands for financial parity.
Yet in disappointing reality, the match had all the charisma of a first-round meeting between a seasoned player intent on finding her grasscourt feet and a feisty but ultimately none-too-threatening opponent. A month ago the French Open final was a disappointment as nerves gripped Ana Ivanovic and rendered her uncompetitive against a determined Justine Henin. This was nowhere near as one-sided but was still far from engrossing and decidedly lacking in allure.
Bartoli arrived in the final as something of a mystery, despite reaching the semi-finals at Edgbaston and Eastbourne last month, with respected campaigners such as Elena Dementieva and Daniela Hantuchova trailing in her wake.
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On Friday her semi-final win against the physically spent Henin confirmed that athleticism is not necessarily everything in this sport; a resolute attitude, plus some double-fisted groundstrokes that possess the same velocity as those of her childhood heroine Monica Seles, are a potent mixture.
However, when it comes to producing the big plays on Wimbledon grass, Williams may not necessarily be a more adept player than Henin, but she is not gripped with the same self-doubt in the latter stages of the tournament and has only been beaten in a final here by her younger sister Serena.
Williams was well versed in the demands of the big occasion, whereas before this tournament the biggest match of Bartoli's life was this year's French Open fourth round, when she won only two games against the eventual semi-finalist Jelena Jankovic.
And things proceeded to type in the opening games of this contest as Bartoli struggled not just with stage fright but also with her far-from-athletic lateral movement. Playing double-fisted on both forehand and backhand impairs a player's reach, and Williams's early tactics were clear. She set out to force the 18th seed from the Loire Valley from one side of the court to the other, seeking to expose her suspect footwork before executing the killer stroke.
Double faults at crucial moments were also afflicting Bartoli and she made a gift of the first service break of the match when she clipped one delivery into the net and another long.
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Ironically, even on this day when the weather was for once apparently kind, the elements were having an influence. For one of the few times in this tournament, the sun became a factor as it shone into the eyes of the players as they tried to serve from the royal box end, but more concerning to both was the wind that swirled around the arena and repeatedly caused ball tosses to be aborted.
Surprisingly Williams was affected more than Bartoli, who decided the best form of defence was to attack and boldly stepped almost a yard into court to deal with one of the most potent serves in tennis, gaining some reward for her aggressive returns. Now it was the American's turn to double fault, sacrificing two break points, and she compounded her misdemeanour by sending an errant forehand almost two yards beyond the baseline.
Williams was rattled, and it was apparent that the thought had struck her that she had far more to lose in this encounter than her largely unheralded opponent.
Fortunately for Williams, her anxiety was only a temporary setback and Bartoli's aesthetically unpleasing but occasionally hostile game again slipped.
The realisation soon struck that the Frenchwoman's favourite stroke was the straight backhand pass down the line, so Williams began to trade on the forehand wing and another double fault brought about a set point that was converted with a crisp volley.
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Bartoli had become the first woman in the Open era to reach a Wimbledon final by coming from a set behind in her preceding three matches. Could she do it again?
As the second set progressed there came the almost obligatory visit from not one trainer, but two. Bartoli held up play by having her blistered foot treated. Williams followed suit by insisting on having her left thigh strapped, even though her movement had appeared far from impaired.
It only served as a stay of execution for the French challenger, whose morale was rapidly deflating. The win over Henin was quickly becoming no more than a disappearing memory as Williams won five games out of six before upping her service velocity to claim victory. In Grand Slam victories gone by Williams has danced around the court in a jig of delight. She was more reserved this time.
Perhaps at 27 she believes that the time has come for a little more conservative celebration.