Bridge, too, and the Reform Club, where she revived her interest in the game, mattered a lot to her.

ECONOMIST: Financial journalism loses one of its greats

Sure, her agency missed warnings about the grand thievery of Bernie Madoff, the 2008 meltdown and failed to enact a pro-investor fiduciary standard for brokers, but she can say that she revived the agency at a time when it needed to re-assert itself.

FORBES: Mary Schapiro's SEC Exit An Opening For Greater Reforms

She has revived her injury-marred career since giving birth last February, and she ran a 2:41 marathon in September to qualify for the trials.

WSJ: Racing With No Chance of Winning

She noted that while at Sprint she had revived the Kansas City chapter of a data modelers' professional association and, long after being laid off, continued to attend its seminars where invited experts would describe the latest advances.

WSJ: The Declining Value Of Your College Degree

At 30-0 on Williams' serve in the match's final game, it appeared she might have revived her opponent's hopes as she miscued a straightforward smash and netted a forehand.

BBC: Venus Williams tumbles out of French Open

Speculation has even revived about whether she can last as Labor leader and prime minister until the next election, due in late 2013.

ECONOMIST: Australian politics

She will reprise the role when the play is revived at the Young Vic in April and said it would be "an opportunity to have another crack at what is an extraordinarily rich part".

BBC: Entertainment & Arts