Serena Williams' form improved in the third round of Wimbledon and with it her confidence seems to be improving as well.
Watch and bet on Serena Williams vs Marion Bartoli at bet365>live tennis.
Serena Williams, the defending champion at the All England Club, has missed tons of tennis in the last year and due to that many people were wondering if she was in fact a major threat to win the title at Wimbledon this month and into July.
However despite looking off-form earlier in the Wimbledon draw, the American's abilities were on full display in round three as she advanced with a superb 6-3 6-2 win over Maria Kirilenko.
"That was the best I've played since I came back, so it's good," said the American after her comfortable victory. "I wouldn't bet against me.
"I was a little more consistent and I played my game more. I wasn't as tight and nervous and uptight as I have been.
"I was able to relax more. I had a discussion with myself, my dad and my friends. I was telling them I couldn't relax.
"They told me I had to relax. They said it doesn't matter what happens, you've done so much and I was just really able to relax.
"I was always thinking I can get hurt again, but you must let those thoughts go or anything could happen.
"I'd been thinking I could slip and I wasn't thinking that at all. That was a big difference."
Williams faces number nine seed Marion Bartoli for a place in the quarter-finals. Williams is a favorite in the match but Bartoli, a semifinalist from Roland Garros, is certainly not a player who will be pushed over if Williams is not playing with confidence.