Serena Williams erased three breaks in the final set to stave off an upset bid by home favourite Heather Watson in the third round at Wimbledon on Friday.
Williams was broken twice to trail 3-0 in the decider before turning things around, winning 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 to keep alive her bid to become only the fourth woman to complete a grand slam.
Williams went up 4-3 in the final set only to be broken again in the ninth game, giving Watson a chance to serve out the match.
Williams broke right back, however, and held to love, then converted her third match point.
The 59th-ranked Watson had the partisan Centre Court crowd roaring throughout but fell short of becoming the first British woman to beat a No 1 since Sue Barker defeated Chris Evert in Boston in 1979.
Williams will next face big sister Venus in the fourth round. Venus had no such problems as she defeated Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic 6-3, 6-2.
After her victory over Watson, Serena told the BBC: “I have had some tough losses, but that was the toughest match I have played on Centre Court. She played unbelievable and should have won the match, but she gave her all and showed what a great player she is.
“She could get even beyond the top 20, she is playing really well. She should get her sights higher. She was playing so good, there was nothing I could do.
“I will speak to Venus over the weekend. She is in better form than me, she has the advantage.”
Fourth-seeded Maria Sharapova moved serenely into the Wimbledon fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu yesterday.
The 28-year-old Russian, champion at the All England Club in 2004, overpowered her 29th-seeded opponent on a sun-drenched Court 1 to take her place in the last 16.
Sharapova wasted a chance to close out the match when she served for victory at 5-1 in the second set but did not let another chance go by and completed victory in one hour, 23 minutes.
“I got broken in the first game then played good tennis at 4-4 to go up 5-4,” Sharapova said. “The first set gave me confidence, played good in the second. I knew Begu would not go anywhere.
“Obviously you expect to go further in the tournament, expect better things for yourself. You have to raise your level as you progress through the tournament. There is only one champion in the end and the one who raises their game is the champion.”
Sharapova said memories of her 17-year-old self winning her first grand slam title at the All England Club motivated her to reclaim the Venus Rosewater Dish.
“No doubt about that. That’s certainly something I think about every time I step onto the grounds,” she said.
“The memories of being a champion, the experience of going through those two weeks not expecting myself to be the champion at that stage in my career, yet holding up the plate – I am always carrying those memories with me every time I step on the court here.”
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
RESULTS
5pm: Rated Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Abubakar Daud
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Tair, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner: Son Of Normandy, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24
July 8: New Zealand v Lions
Honeymoonish
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