Wimbledon 2018: Serena Williams outguns Kristina Mladenovic

James Benge6 July 2018

Serena Williams may be some way off the peak of her powers but as she continues her regal progress through a women’s draw in which so many of her rivals are faltering, it appears she may not need to find her A-game to claim the Venus Rosewater dish again.

Kristina Mladenovic was the latest contender to find herself outgunned even when Williams was not firing on all cylinders, losing a 5-3 lead in the first set in an eventual 7-5, 7-6(2) defeat.

Mladenovic offered a powerful reminder of the talents that have previously made her a top 20 player, but at the decisive moments was unable to impose herself on the once (and quite probably future) world No.1.

In a match in which Williams often seemed to be battling against herself as much as she was against her dangerous opponent, the seven-time champion found herself needing to break to stay in a first set where her ground strokes and service game were wayward and she was growing ever more angry.

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Mladenovic, who scarcely made an unforced error throughout the match, was proving to be a frustrating opponent. Whenever Williams had half a chance of a break, the 25-year-old - who had been seeded 12th last year but is now ranked a lowly 62nd in the world - responded with an arrowing ace or powerful forehand.

It all culminated in the first point of that ninth game, when she let out a howl of fury as her backhand careened into the net. Then the true champion emerged as she pulverised her way through four games in a row to take the first set 7-5.

All was still not quite right. Williams wasted three set points off the Mladenovic serve. But when she earned her fourth with a fizzing cross-court forehand fortunes favoured her as the Frenchwoman delivered her first double fault of the match.

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Williams extended her streak to six games in explosive fashion, her returns now flying back over the net with authority, but faltered immediately after when she miscued a regulation forehand and double-faulted to allow Mladenovic back in the set.

The Frenchwoman had her chances to force the match into a third, missing out on a break at 4-4. At the decisive moment in tie-break she found herself overawed by the sheer power of Williams’ returns, which were forcing the mistakes Mladenovic had eschewed before as the 36-year-old romped to victory, wrapping it up with two sweetly struck aces.

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