Zheng edges Venus in 3rd set tiebreak

Zheng Jie of China celebrates defeating Venus Williams of the US at the US Open tennis championships in New York August 28, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK  - The 30-year-old Zheng Jie from China survived a three-hour match against former world number one Venus Williams 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) to advance to the third round on Wednesday.

Third round leveled Zheng's best personal record at US Open. She reaches US Open last 32 in 2008, 2009 and 2012.

The match was scheduled to start at 1 pm, but was postponed to 5:20 pm because of the rain delay. Williams held serve to start the game 1-0, and Zheng responded with a break in the third game, keeping serve to take a 3-1 lead.

Neither player was able to break until the ninth game, in which William made sent a couple of forehand strokes long to allow three set points for Zheng. Zheng seized the chance to end the first set 6-3.

Williams found her rhythm in the second set, establishing a 3-1 lead. The fifth game became the decisive one in the second set, which lasted for more than ten minutes. Williams managed to accomplish a break after seven deuces, finishing the second set 6-2.

The decisive set seemed to went in Zheng's way when the score got to 4-1, but Williams made an important break in the seventh game to catch up. The two players leveled until 6-6 to enter the tiebreak.

In the tiebreak, Zheng made a 4-1 lead again, and Williams caught back to 4-4 again. However, the winner of seven Grand Slams netted a forehand stroke when the score got to 5-5, handing Zheng a match point. Zheng made full use of the match points, wrapping up the victory after Williams sending a forehand stroke wide.

Zheng would next face No. 18 seed Suarez Navarro from Spain.