US OPEN 2015: Serena Williams Recovers To Beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands

Serena Williams was two games from defeat before recovering to beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands and keep her Grand Slam hopes alive at the US Open.

The world number one came back to win 3-6 7-5 6-0 in round three at Flushing Meadows. Williams, 33, is aiming to become the first player to win the calendar Grand Slam since 1988.

Men's top seed Novak Djokovic progressed, with former champion Rafael Nadal to play later on Thursday.


"I'm not trying to live on the edge," said Williams after another tense victory edged her closer to making history.

Williams' fightback against fellow American Mattek-Sands, ranked 100 places lower, means she remains on course to meet older sister Venus in the quarter-finals in New York.

Two-time champion Venus Williams, the oldest player in the draw at 35, upset 18-year-old 12th seed Belinda Bencic in a 6-3 6-4 win.

Screaming Serena eventually finds rhythm

For the fifth time in her last six matches she fell a break behind, and for the 13th time this year she dropped the first set, but once again Williams found a way to win.

With Mattek-Sands, 30, showing the attacking skills that won her the Australian and French Open doubles titles this year, Williams could not find her feet for the first hour.

The 21-time Grand Slam champion was visibly tense, repeatedly screaming "Come on!" and looking pleadingly at her support team as 11 of 12 break points slipped by.

Mattek-Sands made one unforced error, in contrast to 14 by Williams, on her way to the first set

Her edginess was clear for all to see when two double faults saw her broken when serving for the second set, but three rasping returns finally got her over the line.

Williams, 33, had won all nine of her deciding sets at Grand Slams in 2015 and an early break set her on course to making it 10 out of 10.

Mattek-Sands was swept aside in a final set that lasted 25 minutes, and Williams said: "Players come out really strong - I don't think I came out too slow.

"I was finally able to get some rhythm going in the second. I said, 'You know what Serena, just keep going, keep trying.'"

Williams will next face another American, 19-year-old 19th seed Madison Keys, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3 6-2.