Venus Williams suffered more than expected, but she managed to save her second Wimbledon match and beat China’s Quiang Wang 4-6, 6-4 and 6-1.
The five-time Wimbledon winner gave up the first set to the Chinese player, ranked 55th in the world, but recovered in time to win in an hour and 49 minutes.
The American suffered a scare, when she was dominating the first set 4-2, but she yielded four games in a row to lose the opening set in 42 minutes.
Three breaks, one at the end of the second set, and two in the third one, helped Venus get the victory.
The eldest Williams, now 37 years old, last won Wimbledon nine years ago. She will now face Japanese Naomi Osaka, who defeated Czech favorite Barbora Strycova, 22, 1-6, 6-0 and 6-4.
In the first round Williams defeated Elise Mertens of Belgium 7-6 and 6-4.
Azarenka also advanced
The Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, former world number one, begins to shine in Wimbledon. Azarenka won her second-round match by defeating Russian Elena Vesnina in straight sets by a score of 6-3 and 6-3, in 99 minutes.
The Minsk player, twice a semi-finalist at Wimbledon (2011 and 2012), has just returned to the circuit after giving birth to her son Leo in December.
Two weeks ago, Azarenka returned to the circuit by playingin the Mallorca Open, but there she only managed to win a match against Japan’s Risa Ozaki, only to lose in the following match against Croatian Anna Konjuh in two sets.
Azarenka returned to Wimbledon after missing out last year because of an injury, and during her recovery she became pregnant, announcing her new status in mid-July of last year.
In the first round, Azarenka defeated American Catherine Bellis, in three sets (3-6, 6-2 and 6-1) and used the confidence that victory gave her against Vesnina. Azarenka, who has yet to lose a set to Vesnina in her career, improved her head-to-head record against the Russian to 8-0.
In the third round Azarenka will face Briton Heather Watson, who defeated Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 6-0 and 6-4.
