SECRET SERVICE agent’s daughter Alison Riske found beating Serena Williams a Centre Court Mission: Impossible.
Unseeded 29-year-old Riske, who shocked top seed Ashleigh Barty yesterday, looked as if she might pull off another surprise when she levelled the match at one set all and broke the Williams serve at the start of the third.
But the seven-time Wimbledon champion, aiming for her record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, fought back to find her game and edge through 6-4 4-6 6-3 in two hours and one minute.
It was a tough finish for Riske, whose father Al was in the US secret service and then worked for the FBI, but she can still be proud of her best Grand Slam run.
Williams, now 37, looking surprisingly uncertain and far from peak fitness, surrendered the first break of the match, a tame backhand into the net gifting Riske the third game.
Even when Williams broke back, Riske was determined to try to outhit her veteran opponent, carving out another chance which she took with a thumping double-handed backhand return on to the sideline.
But Serena is never better than when she is facing the pressure, breaking back instantly as she forced a backhand wide and then reeling off three straight aces in the next to put Riske at… risk.
And when the outsider was unable to make proper contact on an overhead high to her forehand side on the second set point, Williams was one up.
Yet Williams was relying on big serves at crunch points to get her out of trouble.
It could not last and when Riske’s bravery saw her earn a break point at 4-4 she took it with a beautiful half volley at the net, serving out to love to take it to a decider.
A blistering return was followed up by a drive volley at the net to break in the first game, with Centre Court ready to erupt.
Two straight breaks by Williams saw momentum switch, only for Riske to level again.
But Williams’ jump for joy as she created a fourth break point in the ninth game was justified as a Riske double fault – her sixth – handed the old-stager the chance to serve out, converted, finally, by ace No18 of the match.
