If you watched the first set of the fourth-round match between Venus Williams and Johanna Konta at the Miami Open, you'd have thought Williams' bid for the title was over.

Konta was playing tremendous tennis to start the match, mixing up her shots and minimizing her mistakes. The world No. 14 looked in control, taking the opener 7-5, but it all went south from there.

Williams can never be counted out. She turned her game up a level to steamroll through the next two sets, 6-1, 6-2. A lot of that had to do with the way Konta just fell apart.

"The first set was definitely all her, and she came up with some amazing shots to break me at 5-all," Williams said. "There was not much I could do there, except hope I could keep up in the second and third sets."

Match point from Williams' win over Konta in Miami:

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Williams deserves a lot of credit for keeping points alive and choosing her spots wisely, but her main job in the second set was allowing Konta to get in her own way, which is exactly what the Brit did.

After looking like a serious contender to defend her title, Konta began to play erratically. She struggled to win points on her second serve (taking just 32 percent), and she wasn't solid on her first serve either, winning just 64 percent of those points. Williams is never afraid to go for her returns, and Konta could not find a rhythm.

The world No. 8's 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 win is her 64th career victory at the Miami Open. Williams' quarterfinal opponent will be either Danielle Collins or Monica Puig. She's seeking her first title since February 2016.

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Venus survives rough start to oust defending Miami champion Konta

Venus survives rough start to oust defending Miami champion Konta

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