Serena Williams was given a thorough workout but made it through to the second week of Wimbledon yesterday. The seven-time champion beat Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) just minutes after her sister Venus went out of the tournament over on Court One. Venus lost 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 8-6 to Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens. Mladenovic served for the first set, but Williams survived and then stepped up in the second-set tie-break to move into the fourth round.

Williams has been feeling her way into the tournament but it was clear that she was facing her toughest test yet when Mladenovic took an early break. An important moment came when Williams was serving at 4-2 behind, when at 15-30 the American looked to have sent the ball long to give Mladenovic two double-break points. But Williams challenged and it proved an inspired decision as Hawk-Eye showed the ball to be a couple of millimetres in.