Serena Williams is through to the US Open fourth round after battling from a set down to beat Sloane Stephens in three sets.
The 38-year-old, a six-time winner at Flushing Meadows and chasing a 24th Grand Slam title which would equal Margaret Court's record, did not have an easy time on Arthur Ashe.
The American lost the first set after racking up 13 unforced errors, with 2017 champion Stephens much the opposite, preserving her calm aura to take the first set 6-2.
But Williams dug deep like she has on so many occasions when the tide is against her, racing through the second set 6-2 and won four games in a row to highlight her recovery.
A drop in intensity from Stephens was all the motivation Williams needed and simultaneously, she increased the power on her serve which proved too much for her opponent to handle.
In Pictures | US Open 2020
But the turning point came when Williams capitalised on a series of errors from her compatriot Stephens, who was struggling to find the consistency she had shown in long rallies in the first set.
And when Williams broke to make it 2-1, there was no looking back as she sealed the next two games to further solidify her lead.
No longer were there break points on her serve. No longer was there tension in her movement. Stephens knew that and began to miss shots she would have gobbled up earlier on.
Williams was made to wait longer this time to seal her victory, wrapping up the third set 6-2, but with it she moves another step closer to making history on her home turf.
