Williams saved a set point in the first set and both players served for the match with Rus coming back from 2-5 down in the 3rd set to level it up 5-5 and then she went 6-5 up. It looked like the Dutchwoman was going to spring the shock.

But after a closely fought service game, Williams broke back immediately on her third break point. The tiebreak from there didn't follow the pattern of the match with the legendary American claiming a clean sweep 6-0.

Her next opponent though could be a real tough assignment with Maria Sakkari, the number 13 seed who saw off Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 7-6 (2) who swept past Coco Gauff in the first round and has looked really good since her return.

In her tie against the Kazakh ace, she went 3-1 up in the final set as it looked like she was nearing the finishing line but they went back and forward from there with tempers flaring and even a ball going onto Denis Shapovalov and Jan-Lennard Struff's court.

Putintseva looked like she was running away with it but Sakkari made a comeback. It wasn't done there though, she had match point at 6-5 and 9-8 up with the latter seeing her serve albeit it with a double fault.

She recomposed herself though to win through 11-9 in a classy win and with her power and brilliant serve which was shown with 8 aces, she could very well be a huge test for Serena.

https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1297990064551665666?s=20