Defending champion Venus Williams saluted Jelena Jankovic's fighting spirit after tumbling out of Wimbledon with a 7-6 (10-8) 4-6 6-4 defeat by the 26th seed.
Jankovic was trailing 4-1 in the second set and although she went on to lose it her determination stood her in good stead for the decisive third set.
Williams said: 'I've played her a couple of times before. Against a player like me, I guess she feels like she has nothing to lose.
'She came out and gave it her all. She played well.'
Jankovic needed to show real determination to win the first set, surviving a set point in the 10th with impressive work from the baseline.
A tie-break was needed to separate the players with both saving set points until Jankovic unleashed a blistering forehand which Williams could only smash into the net.
Williams took full control of the second set, racing into a 4-1 lead with two deft drop shots doing the damage before repelling a fightback to win 6-4.
Neither player could take control of the third set with the initiative being freely exchanged, but then Jankovic took a vice-like grip of the 10th.
She clinched four set points which Williams pegged back with some aggressive play, but Jankovic could not be denied with the fourth which she forced Williams to fire into the net.
