World number one Lindsay Davenport sweated it out for two-and-a-half hours before beating France's Virginie Razzano 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the fourth round of the French Open on Friday.
The top-seeded American, who has often struggled in her least favourite Grand Slam tournament, looked nervous and clumsy in the stifling heat but managed to survive against the local favourite, ranked 39th in the world.
Davenport meets Belgian Kim Clijsters for a place in the quarter-finals. Former number one Clijsters, twice a Roland Garros runner-up, beat Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2 on Friday.
The American fought back from 4-0 down in the first set and was in trouble again in the second, Razzano building a 3-0 lead.
Davenport gave the impression she would recover when she levelled the second set at 4-4 but two games later, she lost it with a double fault.
Both players had traded breaks in the decisive set when Davenport managed the telling one in the ninth game. She then served for the match, sealing victory with a service winner on her second match point.
The 28-year-old survived a scare in the previous round when she was two points from defeat before beating Chinese teenager Peng Shuai 3-6, 7-6, 6-0.
Davenport is making her 11th appearance in the only Grand Slam tournament she has not won. Her best result here was a semi-final in 1998.
While her rivals warmed up playing on the European clay, she took four weeks off the circuit before coming to the French capital. Her preparations included a vacation in Mexico.
More from rediff