Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams saw off the brave challenge of Kurumi Nara to secure a place in the third round for the first time since 2011.

Williams, the 30th seed, won 7-6 (7/4) 6-1 but not without a scare. She found herself 3-0 down in the first set on Court Three as the 22-year-old Japanese player, the shortest in the women’s singles at 5ft 1in, opened with some aggressive tennis.

Towering American Williams, whose last singles title at the All England Club came in 2008, showed the spirit of a true champion to fight back to lead 5-3, only for Nara to respond herself and force a tie-break.

World number 41 Nara looked confident again, leading 4-1, only for Williams to run off six straight points. Nara was troubled by a thigh injury, and needed a medical time out at the interval.

She return to court with strapping around her left upper thigh, but did not seem to be too restricted, breaking the Williams serve in the first game of the second set.

However, Williams immediately levelled and was soon pulling out a range of passing shots to twice break again before closing out victory in just over an hour and 30 minutes on a first match-point chance with another big cross-court forehand.