Serena started the match strongly, winning the first 6-2. But Hantuchova came back well in the second set, breaking the American quite early.

The Slovakian was looking in top gear, when suddenly in the second set, Serena crashed behind the baseline and took medical treatment for more than five minutes.

At 5-5 in the second set the American seventh seed -- who once dated director Brett (Rush Hour) Ratner -- collapsed on the baseline, screaming in agony after her left calf muscle went into a spasm with Hantuchova serving at 30-15.

It seemed her Wimbledon dream was going to end in pain and tears but two hours later, after rain had interrupted the match a third time, Serena came back fighting like a wounded tiger.

'I've never dealt with such pain. I can't believe I won really. I think I was definitely saved by the rain. I couldn't move before the rain,' she said.

But former champions Michael Stich and John McEnroe slammed Serena, saying the American resorted to unfair tactics.

'I thought she was over-acting a little. I'm not saying she wasn't in pain. But for me, when you're injured, it hurts; you get up and get treatment. But there's nothing in between being injured or not being injured,' Stich told BBC Radio Five Live.

McEnroe echoed Stich's opinion, terming Serena's show 'gamesmanship'.

'It seemed like gamesmanship,' the legendary American said. 'I'm not an expert on cramps, but I know when you can get through them -- so you think gamesmanship.'

Meanwhile, Richard Williams, who coaches both his daughters Serena and Venus, left, slammed claims of 'gamesmanship', adding that Serena could even pull out of the tournament due to the injury she suffered in the match.

'What the world should be asking me, is how did I get a champion that would fight like that and you guys (the British) can't even get one as a whole country. That's the one thing you should want to know -- if you could produce one champion that would be great, but I produced two,' the flamboyant dad said.

Photographs: Getty Images

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