Serena avoids slip-up

Williams was at full stretch against Callens

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Second seed Serena Williams set up a fourth-round meeting with fellow American Chanda Rubin after overcoming Belgian qualifier Els Callens in two tie-breaks.

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The younger Williams sister prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-2) after a closely-contested encounter with the 31-year-old Callens.

Driving Dokic mad

Serena struggled to keep her footing throughout the match and fell a number of times on court two, where many big names have lost in the past.

Afterwards, she was at a loss to explain why keeping her balanced proved so difficult.

She said: "Every time I seemed to want to move I would slip or fall or something. After the sixth time I'm thinking 'come on now, give me a break'.

"It's so dry out there... I'm thinking it's all a conspiracy."

Urged on by a packed crowd, the Belgian looked likely to level the match when she broke Serena for a second time in the fifth game of the second set.

Callens managed to stave off a break point in her next game to go 4-2 up as Williams continued to struggle in the baseline rallies.

Rubin has never met Williams before

But the world number two recovered brilliantly on break point in the seventh game and dug deep to break back at 5-4 as the match went to a second tie-break.

Callens lost three points on her serve as Williams wrapped up victory with a disputed ace.

She now faces a first-ever meeting with Eastbourne International champion Rubin, who saw off Tatiana Panova, the conqueror of Anna Kournikova in the first round, 6-4 6-1.

And Williams said she would be phoning her father Richard in America to get some advice to try to improve her form.

"I'd like to talk to him about my match. I'm missing too many first serves and not converting my break points.

"I feel like going back out to practise. I'm playing doubles tomorrow so maybe I can practise then."

Third seed Jennifer Capriati also had her struggles before sealing a 6-4 6-2 win over the Czech Republic's Daja Bedanova.

The American was broken to love in her first service game as the 19-year-old took an early 2-0 lead and edged ahead again at 4-3 after Capriati had levelled.

Dokic through

But Capriati then started to find her range and reeled off six games in a row to take the first set and open a 3-0 lead in the second with two early breaks.

Bedanova failed to capitalise on nine game points before finally taking the fourth game.

But Capriati broke her opponent to love in the seventh game to take a 5-2 lead and served out to take her place in the fourth round.

Felow American Laura Granville is also through after beating Mary Pierce in three sets.

She recovered from losing the first set to go through with a 3-6 6-4 6-1 victory.

Joining her in the next round will be ninth seed Amelie Mauresmo who defeated Russia's Anastasia Myskina 6-4 6-2.

She will play either fellow Frenchwoman Mary Pierce or America's Laura Granville for a place in the quarter-finals.

And pin-up girl Daniela Hantuchova, booked her place in the fourth round with a straight sets win over Maja Matevzic.

The 11th seed from Slovakia beat her Slovenian rival 6-4 6-4 to set up a mouth-watering meeting with seventh seed Jelena Dokic, who beat France's Nathalie Dechy 7-5 6-2.