In tennis terms, it was a battle between two of  the most “senior citizens” of the women’s tour under the closed roof of Centre Court at Wimbledon on Wednesday. Venus Williams, 31 took three hours and three sets to 41 year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-7 (6), 6-3, 8-6 to advance to the third round.

“It was tough. She came out and I just couldn’t seem to get a game,” Williams said. “She played so well and before I knew it the ball was past me every time in the first set.”

“I thought she played unbelievable today. I thought she had some luck on her side, too, with net cords, balls hitting lines. I just thought today was a perfect storm for her to try to get a win. Thankfully, I had some answers.”

Date-Krumm who made her Wimbledon debut in 1989, reached the semifinals in 1996, retired and returned to the tour in 2008.

“I played my tennis and (showed) I can fight with Venus also,” said Date-Krumm.. “She’s a five-time champion here. She’s a great player. So I can fight with her. It was a very, very good match for me.”

World No. 1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal put away American Ryan Sweeting 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to advance into the third round also under the closed roof of Centre Court.

“I was playing very well,” said Nadal. “The second and beginning of the third I had the match completely under control, but he had a few good shots.”

Advancing easily on Wednesday were Andy Murray, who beat Tobias Kamke of Germany 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, Andy Roddick defeated Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

It was an “oh no” Canada day at Wimbledon as all three remaining singles players fell in second round matches. Canada’s top-ranked male singles player Milos Raonic literally and figuratively fell to Gilles Muller of Luxembourg. Raonic was serving up a break at 2-1, when he slipped on the grass and landed on the ground. He was forced to retire with a hip injury leading 3-2.

Rebecca Marino and Stephanie Dubois were also eliminated at the All-England Club on Wednesday. Marino lost to Italian Roberta Vinci 7-6(3) 6-2  and Dubois was beaten by 11th seed Andrea Petkovic 6-3 4-6 6-3.

Upsets of the Day

(Q) Misaki Doi (JPN) d. (30) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 64 57 75
S Bolelli (ITA) d [14] S Wawrinka (SUI) 76(5) 63 76(4)
R Haase (NED) d [21] F Verdasco (ESP) 63 64 46 62
A Bogomolov Jr. (USA) d [25] J Chela (ARG) 60 63 64
G Muller (LUX) d [31] M Raonic (CAN) 23 ret.

Seeded Winners

Second Round

(2) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Elena Vesnina (RUS) 61 76(5)
(4) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Iveta Benesova (CZE) 60 63
(8) Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. Anne Keothavong (GBR) 62 61
(11) Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. (LL) Stéphanie Dubois (CAN) 63 46 63
(23) Venus Williams (USA) d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 67(6) 63 86
(25) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. (Q) Marina Erakovic (NZL) 63 61
(29) Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. Rebecca Marino (CAN) 76(3) 62
(32) Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) d. Petra Martic (CRO) 61 64

[1] R Nadal (ESP) d R Sweeting (USA) 63 62 64
[4] A Murray (GBR) d T Kamke (GER) 63 63 75
[6] T Berdych (CZE) d J Benneteau (FRA) 61 64 62
[8] A Roddick (USA) d V Hanescu (ROU) 64 63 64
[9] G Monfils (FRA) d G Zemlja (SLO) 46 63 63 76(7)
[10] M Fish (USA) d D Istomin (UZB) 76(6) 64 64
[17] R Gasquet (FRA) d I Kunitsyn (RUS) 61 64 64

First Round

(13) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) 60 30 ret. (left ankle injury)
(16) Julia Goerges (GER) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 63 60
(21) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) d. Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) 76(3) 46 62
(24) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) d. Mirjana Lucic (CRO) 36 63 86
(27) Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) d. Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 75 63

Wimbledon – Day 3 Results

Wimbledon Order of Play for June 23