Serena Williams moves on while sister Venus falls

LONDON — Serena Williams powered past France’s Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) to enter the fourth round at Wimbledon, but her sister Venus became the latest top-10 seed casualty on Friday.

Serena, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, trailed by a break in the first set, but she produced an inspiring display of ruthless aggression to make the second week of the tournament for the first time since she lifted the title in 2016.

“Everyone comes out and they play me so hard,” Serena said. “Now my level is so much higher because of it, from years and years of being played like that.”

Serena returned to Grand Slam action at the French Open in May to continue her

return from giving birth to a daughter last year.

“Every single match I play, whether I’m coming back from a baby or surgery, it doesn’t matter, these young ladies, they bring a game that I’ve never seen before,” Serena said.

“It’s a totally different game than when they play me. That’s what makes me great: I always play everyone at their greatest, so I have to be greater.”

She will face Evgeniya Rodina next after the Russian eliminated 10th-seeded American Madison Keys 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

Venus, on the other hand, was the latest seed to fall in the women’s draw as Kiki Bertens triumphed 6-2, 6-7 (57), 8-6 in a three-set marathon.

“I just ran out of time in the end,” Venus said. “She played really well. You have to win the last point, and I didn’t succeed in that today.”

Bertens, who is the 20th seed, raced through the first set with two breaks, but squandered her opportunity to serve for the match at 5-4 in the second set as Venus roared back in a tie-break.

The five-time Wimbledon champion saved two match points at 7-6 but conceded defeat with a net error on Bertens’ third match point to exit the tournament, following a battle that lasted an exhausting two hours and 39 minutes.

Venus was seeded ninth and she joins another seven of the top 10 women’s seeds who have failed to make the second week at Wimbledon.

World No. 1 Simona Halep and Czech seventh seed Karolina Pliskova remain as the top seeds after Pliskova rallied from a set and 4-1 down to beat Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.

It is Pliskova’s best result at Wimbledon as she progresses to the fourth round for the first time, where she will play Bertens on Monday.

“I want to win more matches because I know the draw is open and there is a big chance for me,” Pliskova said.

In the men’s draw, defending champion Roger Federer is safely through to the fourth round with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 win over German Jan-Lennard Struff.

He will face Frenchman Adrian Mannarino next after he dismissed Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3.

Federer, an eight-time Wimbledon champion, expressed his delight after succeeding against a variable run of opponents to enter the second week.

“I’m happy I found a way today,” Federer said. “It’s good that I faced different types of opponents I think in this first week, was able to find a way to get through.”