Venus Williams made heavy weather of her rain-disrupted clash with Japan's Akiko Morigami before sealing victory in three sets and escaping the “Graveyard of Champions” curse of Court 2.
In a match split into two fairly even halves by the showers which ended play on Saturday, Williams finally squeezed through 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, but only after a few struggles in the Monday half of the match.
She could have wrapped up victory on Saturday were it not for some solid resistance from the Japanese 27-year-old and the collapse of her own serve once she had gone a set up.
That first set was largely secured by Williams thanks to the odd lapse of concentration by the Japanese world number 71, who was otherwise matching the three-time Wimbledon champion all the way.
The failure of Williams, ranked 40 places above her opponent, to convert three break points in the second game of the following set proved to be a turning point in the match.
The American went on to drop her own serve to set Morigami off on a run of three consecutive games including another break.
It was then, with 58 minutes played, that the match was suspended and, on its resumption nearly 48 hours later, the problems continued for Williams.
Morigami served to love and then Williams struggled to hold hers from 0-40, repelling six break points and delivering four doubles faults before finally holding on her second game point.
Nerves struck Morigami as she failed to serve out at 5-2 but she eventually levelled the match on the conversion of her ninth set point.
The momentum was certainly with the Tokyo-based player, as her better-known adversary was still struggling to find her rhythm, and Williams could have seen it all slip away from her if it wasn't for grim determination.
In the fifth game some of that Williams character became more evident as she pressed Morigami more and more. But the Japanese woman was still matching her stroke for stroke, and successfully prevented Williams converting three break chances.
Morigami seized her chance three games later as Williams disconsolately delivered another double fault, her 14th of the match, and suddenly the Japanese player had the last 16 within shooting distance.
But, even when she is misfiring, Williams is not easily beaten. Picking herself up mentally, and focusing on what could be a disastrous result, she went into full attacking mode and unsettled Morigami on the verge of her great upset. Pressed into error, Morigami finally broke under the pressure and with the match back on level terms, broke Williams again with her aggressive play.
Having finally regained her momentum, there was no way Williams was going to allow this chance to slip away and serving confidently, claimed a place in the next round where she meets Maria Sharapova.
That in itself is a mouth watering prospect but there is no doubt that Williams, the 23rd seed, will have to lift her game considerably is she is to make an impression on the second seed from Russia.
In the meantime Morigami will rue the chances she missed but she has the distinction of having taken Williams twice to three sets in their two meetings to date.
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