London: Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki came within two points of defeat against unseeded Estonian Anett Kontaveit before recovering to win 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2 and reach the fourth round of Wimbledon on Saturday.
The Dane, seeded five, was getting overpowered as she trailed by a set and 3-5 to the powerful Kontaveit but she hung on grimly and turned the match around.
Her next task will be to break through to the quarter-finals for the first time, having fallen at the fourth round stage five times in the past eight years.
"I`m just happy I survived today," Wozniacki, who will face another stern test against American big-hitter Coco Vandeweghe on Monday, told reporters. "I`m not really too worried yet about Monday. I`m just going to enjoy having won today."
Kontaveit, one of the most dangerous unseeded players in the women`s draw having won the Den Bosch grasscourt title in the build-up to Wimbledon, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and was 30-0 ahead in that game.
She missed a routine backhand that would have given her three match points and Wozniacki levelled at 5-5.
World number 38 Kontaveit broke again to lead 6-5 but faltered on serve once more with the winning line so close.
She crumbled in the tiebreak and Wozniacki`s experience paid off in the decider as the Dane moved through to a last-16 clash with hard-hitting 24th-seeded American.
"I felt like I wasn`t playing my best in the beginning," the Dane said. "It definitely took me a while to get into it.
"I thought I played really well in the third set and at the end of the second set. I was pleased to just keep fighting. I felt her getting just a little bit nervous towards the end."
