By Bill Scott Jun 29, 2006, 23:08 GMT
London - Defending champion Venus Williams produced a nail- biting comeback Thursday, winning five straight games in the second set on the road to surviving a second-round scare at the Wimbledon Championships.
Venus Williams of the US returns to compatriot Lisa Raymond during their second round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Thursday 29 June 2006. EPA/GERRY PENNY
Down a set and losing 5-2, the sixth seed and three-time champion all but flicked a switch to turbo-charge her game as she fought past upset-minded Lisa Raymond 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 6-2.
After the one-hour, 48-minute test on the grass, the American was breathing a bit easier following her dice with disaster.
'I took the positives out of it, I was only down one break, and I was serving very well,' said Williams, winner of the title in 2000, 2001 and last year.
'I just happened to play some bad shots to get broken. I was just thinking, 'all I have to do is break once and it's gonna be very tough for her to break me again.'
'Once I got that break, I felt very confident serving at 4-5.
'It was all very exciting, I was happy that that third set was a lot smoother than the first two.'
Other leading lights had an easier time on a sunny day four, with top seed Amelie Mauresmo untroubled by Australian Samantha Stosur 6- 4, 6-2.
'I felt I served and returned pretty well today,' said Mauresmo, a three-time semi-finalist. 'I took the opportunity I had at the beginning of the match, and then took another couple of chances in the second set. 'I'm very satisfied.'
2004 champion Maria Sharapova was equally untested as she overwhelmed American Ashley Harkleroad 6-2, 6-2.
Fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, seeded seventh, rallied past American Meghann Shaughnessy 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, while ninth seed Anastasia Myskina made it a Russian hat-trick with her demolition of German Martina Muller 6-2, 6-1.
The only seed to lose was Swiss number 8 Patty Schnyder, dropped by Severine Bremond of France 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Men's crowd favourite Andre Agassi lined up a sentimental match-up of generations as he won his way into a third-round contest with French Open champion Rafael Nadal.
Agassi, the 1992 champion who is playing the event for his 14th and final time, put the snap back into his game with a defeat of Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.
Young gun Nadal, came from two sets to love down for only the second time in his career 6-7 (4-7), 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5, 6-4 over qualifier Robert Kendrick.
The second seed also achieved a successful fightback last October at home when he beat Ivan Ljubicic for the Madrid Masters title.
'I played well all the match, with very good attitude,' said the Spaniard. 'From two sets down I tried to put him under pressure, I played with my best attitude. It's a very important win, I'm very happy.'
Agassi, who has seen it all on court at age 36, will be keen to prove himself against the 20-year-old world number 2, whose grasp of the grass game is still in its infancy - but improving fast.
'He's very confident, great competitor,' said the veteran with 46 Wimbledon victories. 'Needless to say, very talented and fit. It's gonna be a hard match.'
Croatian fifth seed Ivan Ljubicic overcame American Justin Gimelstob 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5 while Chile's number 10 Fernando Gonzalez beat Russian Marat Safin 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Andy Roddick ripped past German Florian Mayer as darkness began to fall with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 win while 2002 winner Lleyton Hewitt failed to serve out victory in the fourth set and then lost a tiebreak to stand level with Hyung-taik Lee of Korea 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (5- 7) before the match was halted by darkness.
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