Serena Williams roars back to oust fuming Victoria Azarenka

A hard-fought 3-6 6-4 6-2 victory carried Williams into a fourth round tie with compatriot Sloane Stephens.

In a duel between current and former world number ones, it was Azarenka – a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2013 – who settled the quicker on Philippe Chatrier and took the opening set before establishing an early break in the second.

But – in fashion alarmingly reminiscent of her Madrid Open collapse against Williams earlier in May – the Belarusian allowed her opponent a route back into the match.

And Williams took full advantage, recovering to take the second set before reeling off five games on the bounce to wrap up the match.

However, Azarenka was aggrieved at an umpire decision that occurred at a decisive moment in the match.

Facing set point in the second set, the 25-year-old fired a forehand onto the baseline which was incorrectly called out - with Williams insisting that the call had distracted her from playing a shot.

Azarenka dismissed her opponent's argument and was furious that the umpire ordered the point to be replayed. She lost the following point.

"Sometimes we need to have a review...a damn review because it was so clear. That was so damn clear that you cannot make these mistakes at this level," she said afterwards.

"Because I'm not saying this as an excuse or saying because of that point I lost the match, that's not what I'm saying. But in that moment if you don't have a review it's causing a lot of problems.

"This rule that is an umpire's call, I don't get it. How would you call that? She already hit the ball."