(CNN) -- Venus Williams battled past Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm Wednesday after a marathon encounter which kept the Centre Court crowd enthralled for nearly three hours.
Five-time Wimbledon champion Williams won the second round match 6-7 6-3 8-6 but was fully extended by a 40-year-old opponent, who pushed her to the brink of defeat.
Williams, who only returned to action after a near six-month injury layoff at Eastbourne last week, found herself 5-1 down in the opening set as Date- Krumm produced a stream of passing shot winners.
"She came out and I could not seem to get a game," admitted Williams after her victory.
Can the Williams sisters triumph after a troubled year?
"She just played so well as every ball hit the line and the baseline."
But Williams did claw her way back and saved seven set points before Date-Krumm closed out the opener on the eighth to claim the tiebreaker 8-6.
23rd seed Williams moved a break ahead in the second set and leveled at one set all with a further break in the ninth game.
When she took a 2-0 lead in the decider it seemed Date-Krumm's challenge was over, but she took advantage of a sloppy service game by Williams to claw her way back.
But Williams kept her nerve to lead 7-6 and carved out two match points on her opponent's service.
Victory was sealed as Date-Krumm hit narrowly wide with yet another passing shot.
"It was important to keep battling and playing every point," said Williams, who will now play Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
"My movement was a lot better than last week in Eastbourne and, surprisingly, I didn't feel my injury at all," she added.
Last year's runner-up Vera Zvonareva eased into the third round with a 6-17-6 victory over fellow Russian Elena Vesnina.
Zvonareva, 26, lost to Serena Williams, who is back in action Thursday, in last year's final.
Fourth seed Victoria Azarenka of the Belarus also eased through as she beat Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-0 6-3.
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