On this day: Serena Williams ended a 2-year wait for a top-10 win at the 2007 Australian Open

The American defeated No. 5 seed Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the third round of the Melbourne Grand Slam, which she would go on to win. On 19 January 2007, Serena Williams earned a win against a player ranked in the top 10 of the WTA rankings for the first time in two years at the Australian Open.

Williams has won seven titles from 20 appearances at the Australian Open between 1998 and 2021, including her most recent Major triumph in 2017. She holds an excellent 92-13 (88%) win/loss record at the year's first Grand Slam event.

Background

Serena Williams was ranked 81st in the WTA going into the 2007 Australian Open. The then 25-year-old lost to World No. 56 Sybille Bammer in the quarterfinals of the WTA Hobart International the week prior to the tournament.

The American started 2006 as the World No. 13, but saw her ranking plummet as low as 140th (in July) as she played just four events all season. After losing to Daniela Hantuchova in the third round of that year's Australian Open in January, she did not play again until Cincinnati in July due to a knee injury.

Williams' last win over a top 10 player had come two years earlier against Lindsay Davenport in the final of the 2005 Australian Open. This was also the most recent Major title she had claimed heading into the 2007 edition of the Melbourne Slam.

Nadia Petrova was ranked sixth in the world at the time of the 2007 Australian Open, but was seeded fifth as World No. 1 Justine Henin missed the event. The Russian, then 24, lost to 14th-ranked Ana Ivanovic in the last 16 in Adelaide prior to the tournament.

She reached a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in May 2006 - a year in which she won five WTA titles and was a runner-up at two events. Petrova would end her career with 13 WTA tour crowns.

Williams had won five of the pair's six meetings prior to this clash, including all three of their matches in Grand Slams.

Serena Williams defeats Nadia Petrova 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 at the 2007 Australian Open

Serena Williams, who was unseeded, started her 2007 Australian Open campaign by crushing 27th-seeded Italian Mara Santangelo 6-2, 6-1. The American then saw off a qualifier - Anne Kremer of Luxembourg - 7-6(4), 6-2 to advance to the third round.

Petrova, meanwhile, earned a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 opening round triumph over unseeded Thai player Tamarine Tanasugarn, before easing past Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-1, 6-2.

The Russian stormed through the first set against Williams in just 19 minutes, aided by 18 unforced errors from her opponent. Williams responded by surging to a 3-0 lead in the second set.

Williams produced a fine return game to break back for 5-5 and leveled the match again to conclude a run of four consecutive games. After the pair traded early breaks in the decider, the former champion struck a crucial blow to break Petrova for a 4-2 lead en route to sealing an important win.

In her post-match press conference, the 25-year-old was surprised to find out it was her first triumph against a top 10 opponent in two years.

"Has it been that long? That's a terrible stat," Williams said with a laugh. "I felt like I was doing everything right in the first set, and she just killed me. I was trying to figure out what to do. I've always gone for my shots in any type of pressure situation, and I am going to keep it up. It doesn't matter - I think the more pressure I get, the tougher I get."

The unseeded star went on to win the 2007 Australian Open to end her two-year Major drought - steamrolling top seed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the final with a stunning display. It was her third Australian Open crown and eighth Grand Slam singles title.

Williams ended 2007 ranked seventh in the WTA rankings and returned to the World No. 1 spot the following season. The legendary American has since gone on to win another 15 Major women's singles titles - putting her just one behind all-time record holder Margaret Court.