Venus Williams has hailed her sister - and reigning Wimbledon champion - Serena as her inspiration.
Serena, a 13-time grand slam winner, is playing in only her second tournament since a serious foot injury and blood clots on the lungs left her in fear of her life.
After being left in tears following her battling 6-3 3-6 6-1 victory over Aravane Rezai in the first round, Serena now faces Romanian Simona Halep on Court Two on Thursday.
And Venus has hailed the way her younger sibling has bounced back after an incredibly tough 12 months.
"I think she showed (against Rezai) that once you're a champion, you're always a champion as long as you're always willing to believe in yourself," said Venus, who was also forced to dig deep to overcome Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-7 (8-6) 6-3 8-6.
"I think she is a good role model for anyone. It means a lot to her to be back.
"I don't think anybody else will ever understand what she's been through.
"As a family we always stayed positive. When times get tough, we always laugh. She stayed positive and I think a lot of people could have got negative."
