| Saturday, 28 June 2008 Written by Barry Newcombe Jelena Jankovic was down but not out on Centre Court as she fought back from a set behind and a leg injury to see off dangerous Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki and avoid becoming the latest leading seed to tumble out in the first week of the Championships. The second seed needed medical attention to her leg three times and hobbled to the net at the end of her hard-fought 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over a 17-year-old who was Wimbledon's junior champion two years ago and has just shot into the world's top 30 this month. Jankovic looked to be in real peril of joining Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic in the queue for the Wimbledon exit when Wozniacki's crisp hitting and sure touch gave her a dream start. She broke Jankovic in the fifth game to go 4-2 ahead and, after holding her serve, really put the pressure on her illustrious opponent. Jankovic saved five set points in an intensive spell but finally double-faulted to concede a sixth and then missed a backhand to lose the set after 36 minutes. But the Serb was not ready to abandon her bid for a first Grand Slam and the world number one ranking that will come with it. She broke her opponent at the start of the second set with her clinching shot, a backhand cross court pass, the best of the match. Once she had solidified the lead, Jankovic played with rising confidence but had to survive a break point in the sixth game and two more in the eighth game.
To level the match Jankovic finished with a backhand drive volley and two service winners. But there was now another problem for the Serb. In chasing down a challenging Wozniacki backhand in the last game of the set, Jankovic injured her left knee as she slid and caught her foot in the turf. At the end of the set, she used a medical timeout to have her leg heavily strapped. At the next two changeovers the trainer was again summoned, with the strapping - which she complained was restricting her rather than aiding her - being removed after five games. While all this was going on, the set had begun with three successive breaks of serve, leaving Jankovic ahead 2-1. The Serb was moving a little gingerly but was able to produce the big shots when it mattered. A further break for 5-2 meant she was serving for the match.
On match point Wozniacki, who had attempted courageous shots throughout the match, hit a backhand out. What had threatened to be a Centre Court crisis for Jankovic was finally averted as she hobbled away to prepare for a second week in the company of fewer top seeds than she would have expected a week ago.
| Centre Court - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round | |
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