Madrid - Top seed Serena Williams and defending champion Maria Sharapova survived marathon three-setters to reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Williams saved three match points and needed two and three-quarter hours to take her undefeated record this season to 23-0, making the most of a late serving collapse from former number one Victoria Azarenka.
"I could have won, she could have won. I ended up winning and I don't know how," said Williams after her 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-1) win. "I feel like it was intense."
"I don't feel like there were a lot of long points, which was weird."
Williams next faces either Ana Ivanovic, the Serbian seventh seed, or Spanish 10th seed Carla Suarez Navarro.
Third seed Sharapova went for two and a half hours before seeing off Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
Sharapova ended the dramatic third-round match with a second-serve ace confirmed from the chair after breaking for 6-5.
Williams had found herself in trouble in the third set against Azarenka, who saved a match point in the 10th game to make it 5-5 and then broke for a 6-5 lead.
"Sometimes when you're at that point you have nothing to lose," said Williams. "You just kind of play and hopefully go down with dignity.
AFP
