Britain's Heather Watson sets up Serena Williams last 32 clash

Sport360 staff 23:57 01/07/2015
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  • Heather Watson equalled her best ever performance at Wimbledon.

    Watson defeated Slovakian world number 72 Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2 in the second round and is the only remaining Briton in the women’s singles.

    The 23-year-old from Guernsey next faces the daunting task of taking on world number one Serena Williams in the last 32.

    Watson’s progress has been hampered by a bout of glandular fever that sidelined her for two months in 2013 and a rib injury last year.

    But her emphatic victory over Hantuchova equalled her best-ever showing at Wimbledon by reaching the third round for the first time since 2012, when she was defeated by eventual finalist Agnieszka Radwanska.

    The world number 59, who saved three match points in the first round against French 32nd seed Caroline Garcia, has never been past the third round of a Grand Slam in 18 previous attempts.

    Ice-cool Serena defies heat to make third round
    Serena Williams hardly broke sweat in the Wimbledon heat as the world number one cruised into the third round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Hungary’s Timea Babos.

    With sweltering temperatures reaching a Wimbledon record 35.7C (96.2F), five-time champion Williams kept her cool to dispatch world number 93 Babos with 12 aces and 23 winners in just 59 minutes on Centre Court.

    Williams has swept to Australian and French Open triumphs over the last six months, taking her within two major titles of becoming the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to claim the four top titles in one year.

    Elsewhere, seventh-seeded Ana Ivanovic crashed out of Wimbledon in the second round on Wednesday, losing 6-3, 6-4 to American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

    Ivanovic had reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2007 and was heavy favourite to beat her world ranked 158 opponent. 

    Mattek-Sands will face Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic for a place in the last 16. Ivanovic is the third top 10 seed to lose this week.

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