Ivanovic survives scare to progress

Last Updated: 25 June 2008 18:47

World number one and top seed Ana Ivanovic survived a scare lasting three hours and 24 minutes before disposing of Nathalie Dechy 6-7 (7/2) 7-6 (7/3) 10-8 in a Court One epic at Wimbledon.

Ivanovic's marathon victory fell only 21 minutes short of the all-time record for a women's singles match at the All England Club but it could have been over more than an hour earlier in Dechy's favour.

One set and 5-4 ahead, Dechy fashioned two match points on her opponent's serve and looked like converting her second when an Ivanovic volley hit the net heavily - but trickled over to save the blushing Serb.

Ivanovic, who had looked on course for a quick victory over the world number 97 after storming through the first three games in just six minutes, had been pegged back from a break up twice in the first set.

Dechy romped through the tie-break to secure the advantage and performed similar mini-comebacks in the second set, her fierce ground strokes proving more than a match for the world number one.

If the momentum was expected to shift after Ivanovic took charge of the second set breaker, no-one was telling Dechy, who incredibly had failed to win two consecutive matches in her season to date.

Broken twice more in the decider to fall 4-2 then 5-3 behind, Dechy battled back each time and saw another slice of outrageous fortune fall the world number one's way when the pair were locked together at 5-5.

Dechy flashed away a forehand volley, which ought to have sent her 15-30 up on the Ivanovic serve, but in doing so lost her hat and was harshly ordered to replay the point due to a distraction - a point Ivanovic duly won.

The 29-year-old Frenchwoman, playing her 13th consecutive Wimbledon, then saved two match points on her own serve when Ivanovic held a 7-6 advantage.

But her incredible challenge finally fell short when Ivanovic secured three more match points at 9-8. She took advantage of her second with a forehand volley down the line.

Celebrating her victory, Ivanovic went across and kissed the net at the point at which it had saved her in the second set, before both players exited the court to a richly-deserved standing ovation.

Erratic Serena too strong for Radwanska

Twice former champion Serena Williams produced an erratic performance but proved too strong for Polish teenager Urszula Radwanska whom she dispatched 6-4 6-4 in the second round.

The American sixth seed, seeking her first singles title here since 2003, grimaced and frowned her way through, looking far from comfortable on Court Two as she battled her own demons in an error-strewn display that mirrored her opening round win.

Williams, with all her grasscourt experience, found neither rhythm on serve nor her range from the baseline but she still had too much firepower for the 17-year-old wildcard and younger sister of the more renowned Agnieska.

Williams raced into a 4-1 lead but made hard work of claiming the first set. Radwanska was in no mood to throw in the towel in the second, clawing back to 2-2 from a break down before Williams made the decisive second break.

Mauresmo sets up Serena clash

Former champion Amelie Mauresmo survived an early scare to beat Spain's Virginia Ruano Pascual 4-6 6-1 6-1 and set up a third round clash with Serena Williams.

Ruano Pascual, the oldest woman left in the draw at 34, broke the 29th seeded Frenchwoman at 3-3 to take the first set but was easily swept aside in the next two.

The Spaniard, a nine-times grand slam doubles champion, won just two more games against the 2006 champion, six years her junior.

Former world number one Mauresmo faces twice winner Williams in the tie of the next round having lost both their previous meetings here in the 2002 and 2004 semi-finals.

Kuznetsova eases past Bondarenko

Fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova strolled into the third round, defeating Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2 6-3.

The 22-year-old Russian, who came from a set behind to sneak past French qualifier Mathilde Johansson in round one, enjoyed an easier afternoon spending just over an hour on Centre Court.

Bondarenko, the world number 47 and a junior winner at SW19 four years ago, rallied briefly in the second set but was unable to recover from falling two breaks behind in each set.

Former US Open champion Kuznetsova could face Bondarenko's older sister Alona in the next round.

Vaidisova overcomes slump to beat Stosur

Czech Nicole Vaidisova, the women's 18th seed, survived a second set scare to overcome Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-2 0-6 6-4 and reach the third round.

Vaidisova, a quarter-finalist last year, won the first set comfortably but then went off the boil as Stosur, ranked 98, slowed the pace.

The 24-year-old Australian won nine games in a row in the swirling breeze before Vaidisova, 19, picked up the pace once more to break Stosur three times from 0-3 down in the final set on her way to victory.

The tall Czech committed 26 unforced errors, compared to Stosur's 13, and hit five double faults. Her win set up a third-round meeting with Casey Dellacqua, another Australian.

Wednesday's results:

29-Amelie Mauresmo (France) beat Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 4-6 6-1 6-1
8-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) beat Edina Gallovits (Romania) 6-4 6-2
Bethanie Mattek (United States) beat Vera Dushevina (Russia) 7-6(6) 6-4
15-Agnes Szavay (Hungary) off Monica Niculescu (Romania) 5-7 7-5 6-2
6-Serena Williams (United States) beat Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-4 6-4
1-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-7(2) 7-6(3) 10-8
4-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-2 6-3
11-Marion Bartoli (France) beat Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukraine) 6-2 7-5
Casey Dellacqua (Australia) beat Pauline Parmentier (France) 1-6 6-2 6-3
18-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) beat Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-2 0-6 6-4
Zheng Jie (China) beat Elena Baltacha (Britain) 6-2 7-5

First round:

5-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) 6-3 6-7(7) 6-3