Serena to clash with Venus

Serena Williams set up a titanic Wimbledon fourth round showdown with sister Venus as the world number one staged a dramatic final set fightback to beat Britain's Heather Watson 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 on Friday.

Williams, bidding for a sixth Wimbledon title and a calendar Grand Slam, was on the brink of a humiliating third round exit when Watson served for the match at 5-4 in the final set.

But Serena, who had trailed 3-0 in the decider, broke back before finally sealing an epic escape in two hours and 14 minutes in front of an enthralled Centre Court.

The 33-year-old American will face Venus on Monday for the first time in a Grand Slam since beating her in the 2009 Wimbledon final.

The sisters' last meeting came in 2014 when Venus won in Montreal, but Serena holds a 14-11 advantage over the 35-year-old in their career head to head.

Earlier, Maria Sharapova saw off a late comeback to reach the Wimbledon fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu.

The fourth seed and 2004 champion won the key points in the first set and saw off some last-ditch resistance in the second to book her place in last 16.

The Russian former world number one will face either Germany's 14th seed Andrea Petkovic or unseeded Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan for a spot in the quarter-finals.

"What everyone at this stage of the tournament expects is to go further and expect more, better things from yourself. As the matches get tougher, you have to raise your level," said five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova.

"That's why there's only one champion, that's why it makes it so special: it's the one that really raises their game.

"I want to be the winner and I do my best to do that."

Defending champion and top seed Novak Djokovic breezed into the Wimbledon fourth round with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over Bernard Tomic of Australia.

Djokovic, also the 2011 champion, will face Kevin Anderson of South Africa for a place in the quarterfinals.

Australia's controversial Nick Kyrgios and Frenchman Richard Gasquet set-up a Wimbledon last-16 clash after knocking out last year's semi-finalists Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov.

Kyrgios, who famously defeated Rafael Nadal in 2014 when he was ranked 144 in the world, avenged his quarter-final loss of 12 months ago to Raonic with a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 third round victory over the seventh seed.

Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka reached the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over Fernando Verdasco for his first win over the Spaniard in 10 years.

French Open champion Wawrinka will take on Belgium's David Goffin for a place in the quarter-finals.