It looked like World No.1 Angelique Kerber was on her way out of Wimbledon 2017 when she was a set and 4-2 down against World No.70 Shelby Rogers. But the two-time Grand Slam champion dug deep to break back and eventually won the second set tie-break 7-2, before taking the third set 6-4 to book her place in the last 16.

She said, “It was tough to find my rhythm. She played very well from the first point. She was hitting the ball very hard. In the second set, I was starting to feel the ball better and better and was running better to every single ball. Then the third set was also a few up and downs, but it was better tennis also from my side. I think the key, in the end, was that I was fighting, and I was never giving up, no matter what the score was.”

Kerber was asked if this could be the kind of result that sparks an upturn in form. She said, “Maybe. We will see. But it was for sure a really important win for me today, especially because it was a really up-and-down match and I turned it around. Maybe it is a turning point (in my year).”

The German also described what it has been like adjusting to being the World No.1. She said, “Right now it feels a little bit different than it was before. I’m really trying to go out there not thinking too much. At the beginning, you have more things on your mind. It's different because you feel more pressure and more expectation from everybody around, but also from yourself. So this is different. But I think you need time. You need experience. You need a few up and downs in your career to know what it’s like to be in this position.”

Kerber will probably need to play a lot better to have any chance of winning her next match against Garbine Muguruza. After a patchy start to the year, the Spaniard found form in Rome and at the French Open and she has carried that into the grass court season. Muguruza won three times in Birmingham, which helped her settle on the surface, and she has breezed through all three of her matches so far at Wimbledon in straight sets, spending a total of just 211 minutes on court in the process.

The World No.15 felt she raised her level in her 6-2 6-2 victory over Sorana Cirstea today and is looking forward to facing Kerber next. She said, “I think it's an exciting match. It is a long time since I last played against her. I look forward to it because I love this kind of match.” The Spaniard has been victorious against the World No.1 on the last four occasions they have met, and she explained what is required to beat opponents of the German’s calibre, “When you play top players, first of all, you have got to have your best level. (In previous matches against Kerber) I found a good level, good shots, and good serve. It's very important to play well, otherwise, you have no chance.”

Agnieszka Radwanska withstood a strong challenge from Timea Bacsinszky to win 3-6 6-4 6-1 and set up an exciting fourth round clash with Svetlana Kuznetsova, who thrashed Polona Hercog 6-4 6-0. After losing the first set, the Pole raised her game in the second and earned an early break, which proved to be all she needed to win the set 6-4. The decider was much simpler for the 2012 Wimbledon finalist as she hit her groundstrokes more consistently and her Swiss opponent appeared hampered by a left thigh injury.

Radwanska said, “I had a great match, especially as she's a really tricky opponent. She can do everything on court. You can expect everything. She plays aggressive and then also slices, mixes it up. After the second set, I just found my game and was trying to be more aggressive. I think I was serving better in the third set as well.’ She continued, ‘Every match I’m playing better and better. Obviously, it wasn't easy again, but I think those kind of matches give you more confidence, especially when they're against great players.”

Bacsinszky was understandably disappointed about her injury. She said, “It's quite frustrating because I played a great first set. I think I can bother her - I always did, actually, when we played against each other.” She continued, “In the first set, I was putting so much strength in my shots so I could go for the winners. (But) at around 3-2 in the second set, there was this sharp pain coming to my quad and I was struggling a lot to get low in my knees. I'm pretty sad that happened, but I tried to play until the end. I still believed that I could do something.”

Caroline Wozniacki also came very close to defeat as she was forced to draw on her all battling qualities to beat dangerous Estonian Anett Kontaveit 3-6 7-6 6-2. She said, “It was definitely a tough match, but I’m happy with the way I fought. I didn't give up. I felt her getting a little bit nervous towards the end and I took advantage of that.”

She continued, “I felt like I wasn't playing my best at the beginning. It definitely took me a while to get into the match. But 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 started going for it a little bit more. At that point, I had nothing to lose.”

Wozniacki will play in-form grass court specialist Coco Vandeweghe in round four after the American beat compatriot Alison Riske 6-2 6-4. The World No.25 explained that she is starting to get used to reaching the latter stages of Grand Slams. She said, “Once you have done it once it's easier to do it the second time. I think the first time making a second week of a Grand Slam is probably the most difficult, second to defending it. Once you get there, you’re not so anxious because you have already proven to yourself (that you can do it).”

The other last 16 match in the top half of the draw is one few would have predicted before the tournament began as Karolina Pliskova’s unseeded conqueror Magdalena Rybarikova, who trounced Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 6-1 in just 66 minutes, will take on Petra Martic, who beat Zarina Diyas 7-6 6-1. The unseeded Croatian recently returned from 10 months out with a back injury and found form at the French Open, beating Madison Keys and Anastasija Sevastova on her way to the fourth round.