Venus Williams saves match points to beat Bertens in Miami

Published by Piers Newbery

Venus Williams is trying to win a fourth Miami Open title; Getty Images
Three-time champion Venus Williams keeps her hopes alive at the Miami Open with a dramatic win over Kiki Bertens in round three.

Venus Williams saved three match points before coming through a gripping contest against Kiki Bertens at the Miami Open.

The American eighth seed won 5-7 6-3 7-5 to take her place in round four, where she will meet defending champion Johanna Konta.

Williams, a three-time champion in Miami, let a 5-0 lead slip as Dutch 29th seed Bertens won seven games in a row to take the opening set.

The 37-year-old American trailed by a break midway through the second set but fought back to take it, and recovered from 4-1 down in a rollercoaster decider.

Bertens had two match points on serve and another in the following game, only to net a backhand, and Williams finally made her pay with an eighth break followed by a confident service game.

“It was a very interesting match, to say the least,” said Williams.

“I just tried to hang in there; it was really not that much fun for that to happen. But that’s tennis.”

Williams next faces Konta, the British No.1 who beat Belgian Elise Mertens 6-2 6-1 and looks to be finding some form.

Fourth seed Elina Svitolina saw off Daria Gavrilova 4-6 6-0 6-1 to set up a fourth-round meeting with another Australian, Ash Barty, who beat Perta Martic 6-4 6-3.

Sixth seed Jelena Ostapenko avoided being drawn into a final set against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, the Latvian reeling off seven points in a row in the tie-break for a 6-2 7-6(2) victory.

> REPORT: Dimitrov beaten again, this time by Chardy in Miami

The French Open champion will face Petra Kvitova, who overcame Sofia Kenin in a night match to reach the last 16.

The two-time Wimbledon winner trailed Kenin 2-4 in the final set before posting a 3-6 6-2 6-4 win, overcoming 48 unforced errors with 14 aces and 35 winners.

“I have no idea (how I got through). It was a difficult match mentally, for me, playing a young player who I didn’t know. It’s always a bit tough,” she said.

“Those opponents are always playing well against me. I remember when I was young, I just played without the fear and just had nothing to lose.

“Definitely she’s a great mover. I just tried to a little bit play more rallies and get through it.”

Puerto Rico’s Olympic champion Monica Puig followed up her win over second seed Caroline Wozniacki with a 6-3 7-5 defeat of Greece’s Maria Sakkari.

> REPORT: Wozniacki: Miami crowd “threatened my family”

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