Serena Williams defeats Kristina Mladenovic to reach Wimbledon fourth round as Venus loses
Five-time champion Venus Williams exits tournament after three-set defeat to Kiki Bertens
Saturday 7 July 2018 09:41, UK
Serena Williams defeated Kristina Mladenovic for her 17th consecutive victory in the women’s singles, to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon.
The seven-time champion, bidding for her 24th Grand Slam title, recovered from a break down in the first set on her way to winning 7-5 7-6 (7-2) against the world No 62 from France.
Williams faced her first stern test of the fortnight in the former world No 10 but the American produced an assured display to book a fourth-round encounter with world No 120 Evgeniya Rodina.
After a host of seeds saw their challenges come to an end, the chances of a first major triumph since the Australian Open in 2017 have increased.
Mladenovic matched Williams in the opening stages from the baseline and took the initiative with a break in the fifth game but she was broken when serving for the first set.
Four games in a row for Williams saw the 36-year-old take the opener and she quickly broke Mladenovic in her opening service game to move further ahead.
In front of an expectant Centre Court crowd, Mladenovic hit back immediately before both players held serve to bring up a second set tie-break, which Williams dominated to secure safe passage to the second round.
There wasn't such good fortune for sister Venus as the five-time champion at the All England Club suffered a three-set defeat to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands.
Venus, who had needed three sets in both her opening matches to reach the third round, was unable to perform the same feat as Bertens secured her maiden victory over a top-10 opponent on grass after an absorbing encounter.
Bertens, a former French Open semi-finalist, will next meet Karolina Pliskova who survived a scare against the 29th seed Mihaela Buzarnescu on Friday.
Pliskova, the seventh seed, came back from a set and a break down on No.1 court to win 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-1.
The Czech player remains one of only two of the top 10 seeds left in the draw.
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Our next tennis action comes from the German Open in Hamburg. Watch the action live on Sky Sports Arena from Monday, July 23 from 10am.
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