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Jankovic: Treatment required
Jelena Jankovic admitted she feared becoming the latest high-profile casualty at Wimbledon before digging deep to see off the brave challenge of teenager Caroline Wozniacki.
The second seed eventually prevailed 2-6 6-4 6-2 but only after fighting back from a set down and suffering knee injury which required extensive treatment.
The Serbian played the final set with her left knee heavily taped after appearing to hyper-extend the joint.
In a tough battle against one of the rising stars of the WTA Tour, that was the last thing Jankovic needed as she battled to avoid joining Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova through the exit door.
Never have the top three seeds departed Wimbledon in the first week but the 23-year-old conceded she felt during that match that it might just happen.
"A lot of the big names have lost in the tournament and I was thinking maybe I'm the next one!" she said.
"I was surprised when Ivanovic and Sharapova went out.
"Usually, the top seeds, even though they're not playing so well, somehow get through the early rounds and then start playing better and better for the rest of the tournament.
"But the conditions are quite tough - it's very windy and there are a lot of bad bounces.
"The players that they played against, they just went out on court and really played their best tennis.
"They swing freely and most of those balls go in, so when you're not at your level, you have a lot of trouble.
"So it's very tough to get out of that, and they couldn't somehow.
"And today I was lucky that I could come through and get through the match.
"My opponent didn't have anything to lose. She's very young and motivated.
"Nobody goes out there and raises the white flag. She did the best she could."
Dane Wozniacki will rue a golden opportunity wasted in the second set.
Securing two break points in the eighth, she was offered the first on a plate but produced such a timid smash that Jankovic was able to recover.
She will also wonder why she did not capitalise on Jankovic's reduced mobility in the third set - instead it was the Serbian who shunted her opponent around the court.
Jankovic headed off to the physio afterwards - she will probably be there on Sunday too - but she is confident she will be fully fit for her fourth-round appointment with Tamarine Tanasugarn on Monday.
"In the first set, I slid, my leg went straight and then bent so quickly. I felt a sharp pain," she said.
"I continued to play and it was getting worse. I was struggling a little bit in the third set but somehow came through.
"I had it taped and then took it off because my leg was getting numb. My physio was worried because it was a risk taking it off but I wanted to win.
"It's very sore now and I will have an MRI scan. It's a little bit swollen at the moment, but I don't think it's that bad."
