Follow the latest news and scores from Wimbledon 2016 on Wimbledon.com or Apple TV, or download the official IOS or Android apps for smartphone and tablet
Longevity is a well-established theme for Venus Williams – at age 36, she’s the oldest competitor in the ladies’ draw. She is also contesting her 19th Wimbledon, and 71st Grand Slam.
Williams’s latest feat in lasting is arguably one that the five-time champion could have done without. On a rain-interrupted afternoon at the All England Club, it took the No.8 seed two hours and 41 minutes to defeat 19-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina 7-5, 4-6, 10-8 to move into the fourth round at the All England Club for the 14th time.
It was not merely one of the longest ladies’ matches of the 2016 Championships, but almost certainly the most dramatic one too. Featuring seemingly as many rain delays as there were momentum swings, the contest extended in the most tension-filled way when rain intervened as Venus held her second match point.
“My word, what a lot of rain delays,” Venus later laughed of the unlikely events. “You know, you never know what to expect. Obviously my opponent and I, we were playing under the same conditions.
“I can't say that I've ever had a rain delay at match point. Probably not ideal. She handled it well. She played smart. It was just, I guess, non‑stop action. It was like a Hollywood script.”
Certainly Hollywood would embrace such suspense. Play was deep into the third set when Williams earned that second match point, having finally wrestled control after Kasatkina had challenged at every turn.
The first dramatic fluctuation occurred after a second rain delay late in the first set; Venus led 5-1 but after 23 minutes off court, Kasatkina claimed nine straight points, and four consecutive games, to exert her own authority.
While Williams eventually held steady then to win that first set, the Russian responded to every service break in the second set with an immediate one of her own, finally claiming the most decisive one in the seventh game. She closed out the set in 45 minutes.
She's a quality player. She played amazing. That was definitely my biggest problem outside of the rain, was her play
And then came the third set, when Williams needed all of her experience as Kasatkina broke for a 4-3 lead. But one vulnerable area for the otherwise steely Russian is an occasionally unreliable serve and it was costly as she registered one of five double faults to surrender the break. Kasatkina saved her first match point in the 10th game and would have relished the rain when the second one came as Williams led 7-6.
On returning 70 minutes later, the remarkably composed Russian delivered two big serves to win the game, Williams forced to complete four more games before she would at last secure victory with a series of trademark winners in the 18th game.
“At the end, the goal is to be at the net shaking hands the winner. So however you get that done is usually how you get it done. I just want to continue to play as well as I can as every round progresses,” Williams said.
“She's a quality player. She played amazing. That was definitely my biggest problem outside of the rain, was her play.”
The statistics showed as much, with the teenager’s 39 winners in fact two more than Williams amassed; their error account was also relatively even, at 37 and 41 apiece.
For Kasatkina, the shaky points came at just the wrong moments but they were also interspersed with enough stunning ground strokes – her backhand proving particularly damaging – for the Russian to know the most high-profile match of her career will also be the most important in her long-term development.
While her own career is clearly at a different stage, Williams retains big picture perspective too.
“I just want to get better. When you're an athlete, 'great' is still not enough. You want to be extraordinary and perfect,” she said. “If you don't reach that, you're not happy. I think every athlete here would say that ‑ the serious ones, at least.”
A major step to such greatness would be a sixth title at Wimbledon, a quest that continues with a fourth round match against Carla Suarez Navarro. The women have played six times, with three wins each, Williams winning their only match at Wimbledon in 2009.
“Of course, I want to win, but I got to beat some people before then. So let me try. Let me try,” said Williams. “When I walk out there, I'm betting on myself every single time. That's what I have to do.”
Eight years have passed since Williams lifted the trophy on women’s final day but into the second week after such hard-fought progression, you can’t help recalling her long-term influence.
