WIMBLEDON, England -- Five-time champion Venus Williams rallied to outlast Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-7 (6), 6-3, 8-6 in nearly three hours Wednesday to advance to the third round at Wimbledon played under the Centre Court roof.
With rain delaying play on the other courts at the All England Club, Williams and the 40-year-old Date-Krumm produced great shotmaking under the sliding roof.
Williams relied on her big serve at the key moments to overcome a gutsy challenge from the Japanese player, who was the second-oldest woman to reach the second round here in the Open era after Martina Navratilova.
After Date-Krumm hit a backhand passing shot wide to lose her serve on match point, the two players received a standing ovation from the 15,000 spectators.
Williams trailed 5-1 in the first set and saved three set points before holding her own set point at 6-5. Williams saved four more in the tiebreaker before losing the set.
The 23rd-seeded American missed nearly five months this year because of a hip injury, but she returned last week at Eastbourne.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
