LONDON Five time champion Serena Williams avoided the kind of early upset that has sent many top players tumbling out of Wimbledon beating Caroline Garcia 6 3 6 2 on Thursday to reach the third round.
Sailing AlongUsing a serve that topped out at 123 mph Serena Williams easily dispatched Caroline Garcia to improve to 76 3 since the beginning of 2012 and 26 1 at Wimbledon since 2009. She also moved into 17th place all time for single season win streaks in the Open era with 33.
Notable Single Season Streaks Open EraA day after Roger Federer led the list of big names to exit in the second round the top ranked Williams never looked in danger against the 100th ranked French qualifier.
Williams broke twice in each set to set up a match with Japan's Kimiko Date Krumm who at 42 became the oldest woman to reach the third round at Wimbledon in the Open era.
Date Krumm beat Alexandra Cadantu of Romania 6 4 7 5 to reach the third round for the first time since 1996 when she went to the semifinals.
She's incredibly inspiring the 31 year old Williams said. She's so fit. She's done so well. I've never played her before. I watched her play when I was super young growing up.
Date Krumm is the second oldest woman to win a match at Wimbledon after Martina Navratilova who was 47 when she reached the second round in 2004. Date Krumm took a 12 year break from tennis before returning in 2008.
I don't know how she's able to do so well Williams said.
Whether Williams can keep playing for another decade remains to be seen but she certainly doesn't show any sign of slowing down in her 30s. The defending champion is looking for a sixth Wimbledon title and saw her two main rivals Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka eliminated Wednesday.
The 19 year old Garcia is seen as a potential future star with a game especially suited for grass. But she couldn't force a single break point against the American's strong serve on Court 1.
She's incredibly promising. She does everything well Williams said. Her serve is amazing so I knew it would be a good match on the grass.
After that wild Wednesday with seven players retiring or withdrawing with injuries a sense of normalcy returned to the All England Club.
Sixth seeded Li Na of China did look in trouble for a while before overcoming a poor second set to beat Simona Halep of Romania 6 2 1 6 6 0. Halep's lower back was treated after the first set but she still dominated the second. Li the former French Open champ found her stride again in the third.
Welcome to the crazy women's tennis tour Li said.
American teenager Madison Keys reached the third round in her Wimbledon debut by beating 30th seeded Mona Barthel of Germany 6 4 6 2.
Keys an 18 year old who was born in Rock Island Ill. saved the only break point she faced while converting 3 of 10 on Barthel's serve.
The 52nd ranked Keys also defeated Barthel on grass in a tuneup tournament at Birmingham England two weeks ago.
It's the second time in the past three Grand Slam tournaments that Keys has made it to the third round. She lost at that stage at the Australian Open in January.
Bidding to reach the round of 16 for the first time at a major championship Keys will face either 2012 Wimbledon runner up Agnieszka Radwanska who is seeded fourth or Mathilde Johansson.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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