2015 US Open bracket update: Serena Williams survives upset bid, beats Bethanie Mattek-Sands in 3 sets

Serena Williams kept alive her bid to win all four grand slam tournaments in one calendar year, overcoming a first-set loss to defeat unseeded American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, 3-6, 7-5, 6-0, in the third round on Friday night, advancing to the Round of 16 at the 2105 US Open.

Williams improved to an astonishing 49-2 in 2015, and the six-time US Open champion has won 24 straight singles matches at Flushing Meadows, dating back to 2012.

Williams could not find her groove in the first set and Mattek-Sands took advantage, taking it, 6-3. That was the first time since 2005 that Williams had lost a set against an American at the US Open. Dropping a set has been part of the pattern for Williams in 2015, at least at the grand slams.

She threatened to break Mattek-Sands early in the second set, but Mattek-Sands held. Williams did manage to break her to take a 5-3 lead in the set, but Mattek-Sands responded with a break of her own to make it 5-4 and back on serve. Unfortunately for Mattek-Sands, Williams broke her again to win the set at 7-5.

The third set was all Williams, who broke Mattek-Sands three times for a bagel in the final set with serves like these.

Williams still has Steffi Graf in her sights, trying to become the first woman since Graf to win all four grand slam titles in the same year, and with a US Open championship would tie Graf with 22 grand slam singles titles, second all-time to Margaret Court’s 24.

Williams moves on to play the winner of the match between Agnieszka Radwanska and Madison Keys, which is also taking place Friday.