(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. (31) Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) 61 46 63

The second outing for Serena Williams lasted twice as long as the first, but the top seed still managed to reach the fourth round in Miami. The two-time defending champion fought off an upset charge by No.31 seed Elena Likhovtseva of Russia to win her 14th straight match at the tournament with a 61 46 63 win.

Serena was only on court for 42 minutes in her 61 60 victory against Marta Marrero in the third round. And after sprinting out to a 5-0 first set lead, Likhovtseva began playing toe-to-toe with the former world No.1, finally getting a break late in the second set to force a third set with the 2002 and 2003 champion.

Serena wasted no time getting an early break in the third and finally served out the match at 5-3, moving into the next round on her fifth match point.

"I just couldn't get a ball in today," Serena said. "I just kept flying it. But it was okay. I'm glad I had that match, because I've been out of match play for a while. So that was pretty exciting."

Likhovtseva, who won the previous match between the two players back in 2000 at the Australian Open, said she let several chances slip a way in the third set.

"I think I started to play a little more relaxed than in the first set," Likhovtseva said. "It's tough to get in rhythm with her. She was hitting good returns and she didn't give me the rhythm. I struggled with my serve.

"Then, the second set, I played a little bit more relaxed and she just wanted to hit winners. Then all of a sudden, she started to make a lot of unforced errors. I think I had a lot of chanced in the third set."

Serena will next have an enticing fourth round matchup against No.17 seed Maria Sharapova. Sharapova advanced to the fourth round in only her second appearance at the event with a 75 62 victory against No.13 seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi.