THREE-TIME champion Venus Williams saved three match points en route to a 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 third-round victory over Kiki Bertens at the Miami Open on Sunday.

Some 21 years after her Key Biscayne debut, wins at the Miami Open remain something to celebrate.

Williams blew a 5-0 lead in the first set and was down 5-3 in the third set. But she swept the final four games, holding serve at love for the victory.

“It didn’t look good sometimes,” Williams told the supportive crowd. “But that’s why you keep playing until the last point. And that’s why I love this game.”

The match took nearly three hours on the hottest day of the tournament so far. (SD-Agencies)