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Angelique Kerber’s confidence is growing by the day after the German No.4 seed recorded her third straight-sets win of the week to move into the fourth round.
The world No.4 had to battle through a tight first set before running away with a 7-6(11), 6-1 victory over fellow German Carina Witthoeft.
Kerber, who shocked the world to win her first Grand Slam title in Melbourne in January, has lost no more than seven games in any of her first three matches.
Wins over Laura Robson, Vavara Lepchenko and now Witthoeft have given her a positive feeling about her chances in SW19 this year.
“I think right now I'm feeling really good, like in Australia,” said Kerber, who next faces unseeded Japanese Misaki Doi, who is into the fourth round at a major for the first time.
“Of course, I have confidence. I know how to win a tournament like this. At the end I think it was a good week for me. I had a good three matches. But right now, the second week starts.”
It was Doi who almost dumped Kerber out in the first round in Melbourne, holding a match point before the German recovered to score the first of a career-changing run of seven victories.
And the left-hander needs no reminding of the danger she faces when she returns to the All England Club on Monday.
“I am expecting a really close match, I think," Kerber said. "I know that she is a tough opponent. I was match point down in Australia. But I will try not to think about who I'm playing.”
Elsewhere, one of the closest ladies’ third round matches of the day saw No.28 seed Lucie Safarova survive a match point before beating Jana Cepelova 4-6, 6-1, 12-10 in blustery conditions on Court 12.
I have confidence. I know how to win a tournament like this
Safarova had just enough experience to get past the player who had shocked No.2 seed and Roland Garros champion Garbine Muguruza in the second round. Safarova next faces Yaroslava Shvedova for a place in the quarter-finals.
No.19 seed Dominika Cibulkova continued the kind of form that had seen her win the Eastbourne title two days before Wimbledon began as she got the better of Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 6-3.
The Slovak will need more of that tennis to survive her next test when she goes up against No.3 seed and former finalist Agnieszka Radwanska, who hammered Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-1.
No.9 seed Madison Keys was another to move into round four with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 win over Frenchwoman Alize Cornet. Keys will tackle No.5 seed Simona Halep on Monday.
