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Pretty as a picture it might have been, with the two most photogenic of the tour’s elite facing off across the net for the opening Grand Slam title of the year and a fortune in increased bonuses on their endorsement contracts. Unfortunately, the quality of the contest did not live up to the attractiveness of the contestants as Maria Sharapova gathered the third major title in what promises to be the most striking of collections.

Take nothing away from Sharapova’s achievement that adds to the Wimbledon title she won in 2004 and the US Open crown that came two years later. Twelve months ago she was pummelled by an indomitable Serena Williams, and much of the year that followed was agonising and cheerless as a throbbing shoulder rendered her tantamount to uncompetitive. It is an admirable comeback.

Clearly her delight was accentuated by a sense of relief. There were serious question marks over Sharapova’s durability last year; they seem to have been banished.

“It’s just satisfying, period, to win a Grand Slam and one that you’ve never won before,” she said. “Especially after some of the tough losses that I’ve had.”

Yet as is so often the case in women’s Grand Slam finals, the build-up was far more exciting than the actual play. This was billed as the Battle of the Babes; the blonde against her raven-haired rival; the Shrieker versus the Squeaker; Miss Nike against Miss adidas. In effect it was won because, once again, Ana Ivanovic found that the anxiety that she can shrug off in the earlier rounds becomes debilitating with some of the sport’s most cherished silverware sitting at the end of the court waiting to be claimed.

Admittedly the 20-year-old Serb’s stage fright was not as calamitous as that excruciating attack she suffered in last year’s French Open final, when Justine Henin soon realised she was in for one of the most stress-free afternoons of her career. But as soon as Sharapova appreciated that all she had to do was maintain a semblance of service power, it was clear who was destined for glory.

The scoreline read 7-5 6-3, but the contest was not that close. For a while the opening set did hang in the balance as nerves also seemed to consume Sharapova, but with the temperatures climbing above the 90F mark, the more experienced big-match player recaptured her cool and stood firm. “I don’t think today was my best performance,” Sharapova confirmed. “But I did the things I needed to do to win.” Familiarity with such situations was a big advantage in her favour. The simple knowledge that she had twice previously won Grand Slam finals stood her in good stead. “Experience definitely helped me because I didn’t get impatient,” she said. “I was just calm. I just did the right things.”

Unquestionably Sharapova deserves her prize. Throughout the fortnight she did not concede a set, and her game is again strong and assured enough to suggest that before too long she will again be contending for the world No 1 ranking that she lost last March.

The manner in which she completely outplayed former champions Lindsay Davenport and Henin in preceding rounds was reason enough to acknowledge her as the most complete player in the draw. Her swift dash to the final, extending her to less than eight hours of court time in six matches, suggested that it would take an extremely assured player to cause an upset.

Ivanovic has the potential to become a Grand Slam champion in the not-too-distant future. The only thing holding her back is the ability to overcome her apprehension.

Her occasional coach Sven Groeneveld, a mentor to Mary Pierce during her 1995 Australian Open triumph and more recently Greg Rusedski, claims that she is working on the problem and that he sees improvement.

The poise she showed to end the hopes of Venus Williams and her resolve in fighting back from a calamitous start against Daniela Hantuchova seemed to evaporate in the sweltering heat of the tournament’s warmest day thus far.

Initially there was an assuredness to Ivanovic’s game. She opened up with a couple of service winners, then aimed in an impressive second-serve ace, but it was on the return that her problems seemed to come back. She maintains that trepidation manifests itself in an inability to move her feet properly, and more than once her posture at the moment of ball strike was far from textbook.

“It’s a learning experience for me,” Ivanovic insisted. “I fought hard, but just felt a little bit let down with my forehand and made some big mistakes in crucial moments. [Sharapova] is a tough opponent, and saw when I had troubles. She used that well.”

The only noise coming from the contest were Sharapova’s initial shrieks, which, given the formative stage of the contest, lacked the volume that comes with passages of more intensity later in the match. Ivanovic’s squeaking shoes, which so offended Hantuchova in the semi-final, were strangely silent - and not because she had changed the tread of her soles.

A double-fault heralded Sharapova’s initial break of serve before she had dropped a solitary point on her own delivery. Then, strangely, the momentum changed for 10 minutes of inexplicably bad and hesitant play by Sharapova. The serve that had seemed so dominant crumbled, and three double-faults in succession gifted back the break. Her rhythm had disappeared. Suddenly Ivanovic found herself just two points from the set, but she played the most unfortunate of backhand drop shots that found the net.

Ivanovic later admitted: “I would say it was poor shot selection. I don’t want to remember that one.” However, remember she will, because it closed the door on any chance she had of victory. Sharapova pulled back to hold at 5-5, then won the next two games for the loss of only one point to take the first set.

After Ivanovic laboured for nine minutes to hold the opening game of the second set, the match descended into a substandard lull until Sharapova raised the tempo again when necessary. Now the shriek was far more audible as she envisaged victory. At the other end of the court there was a clear sense of resignation.

Admittedly, there was a brief rearguard action as Ivanovic saved two match points, but a forehand flew wide on the third to give a suddenly tearful Sharapova victory in 91 minutes.

The emotion was short-lived: before long the Russian was going through the familiar routine of rushing to her support crew and savouring the moment. Doubtless there will be many more moments in a similar vein. One can only hope that some will be a little more engrossing to watch.