Williamses overcome second-round scare

Wimbledon , England— Defending champion Serena Williams, still searching for her Grand Slam form after a yearlong absence, recovered from a poor start yesterday to beat Simona Halep in three sets and move into the third round of Wimbledon and stay on course for a fifth title.

After dropping the first set, Williams regained her renowned fierce intensity and powerful shot-making to dominate the rest of the way, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 on Court 2.

From 4-2 in the second set, the seventh-seeded American won eight out of the last nine games to re-establish her supremacy.

It was the fourth consecutive three-setter Williams has played since returning last week at the Eastbourne grass-court tournament. She had been out for nearly a year after two foot operations and blood clots in her lungs.

Five-time champion Venus Williams needed three sets and nearly three hours to overcome the oldest player in the field.

With rain delaying play on the other courts at the All England Club, Williams outlasted Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-7 (6), 6-3, 8-6 in a compelling battle under the sliding roof of Centre Court that featured great shot-making from both players.

Williams relied on her big serve at key moments to overcome a gritty challenge from the 40-year-old Japanese player, who was the second oldest woman to reach the second round here in the Open era after Martina Navratilova.

“She doesn’t play anywhere near her age,” said Williams, who again wore her original one-piece jumpsuit with a triangle cut out in the back, a gold belt and gold zipper.

another easy win for Nadal

Following Williams on Centre Court was defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal, who cruised past Ryan Sweeting 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to move into the third round, showing just how tough he’ll be to stop as he chases a third Wimbledon crown.

The top-ranked Spaniard, who beat the American for the third time this year, all in straight sets, had only seven unforced errors to go with his 38 winners. Nadal broke Sweeting five times and lost serve just once.

Also advancing was fourth-seeded Andy Murray, who beat Tobias Kamke of Germany 6-3, 6-3, 7-5. The 24-year-old British player never lost serve, saving the only break point he faced, as he again pursues his bid to become the first homegrown male champion here since Fred Perry in 1936.

Three-time Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick played the final match on Centre Court, beating Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. The eighth-seeded American had 15 aces and only six unforced errors and faced only one break point.

In women’s play, 2010 runner-up and No. 2-seeded Vera Zvonareva beat fellow Russian Elena Vesnina 6-1, 7-6 (5).

No. 14 Stanislas Wawrinka became the highest seeded man to lose so far, beaten in straight sets by Simone Bolelli 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Among men advancing Wednesday were 2010 runner-up and sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych, who downed Julien Benneteau 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; No. 10 Mardy Fish, a 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4 winner over Denis Istomin; and No. 17 Richard Gasquet, who defeated Igor Kunitsyn 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.