Wimbledon: Venus keeps Williams flag flying with comeback win against Qiang Wang

Venus Williams continued to fly the family flag in the absence of her sister and reigning Wimbledon champion Serena but suffered a scare against China's 55th-ranked Qiang Wang in the second round on Wednesday. The 37-year-old American, bidding for a sixth Wimbledon title, made a slow start but hit back to win 4-6 6-4 6-1 on a warm and sultry Court One.

Her opponent, playing only her fourth singles match at Wimbledon compared to the 97 contested by Williams, was threatening a shock when she had break points at 3-3 in the second set against the misfiring 10th seed. But Williams used her experience to steady the ship and levelled the match with a backhand pass before running away with the decider to book a third-round match against Japan's Naomi Osaka.

Williams, one of only two former champions in the women's draw, came to Wimbledon under a cloud after being involved in a road traffic accident last month in Florida which resulted in the death of a 78-year-old man. Her sister Serena, who she lost to in this year's Australian Open final, is absent because she is expecting a baby.