Andre Agassi needed time to warm up this afternoon, taking three hours 13 minutes to overcome Moroccan Younis El Aynaoui 5-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 and reach Wimbledon's fourth round.
The 33-year-old world number one, seeking a second Wimbledon title after an 11-year gap, looked out of sorts on Centre Court in the first set, making uncharacteristc errors even on his signature two-handed backhand.
El Aynaoui, ranked 22 in the world, has not beaten Agassi in five meetings and he served with power and precision to produce 19 aces and keep the American on his toes.
Agassi's class and temperament showed in the fourth set which he won 7-4 in the tiebreak after saving three set points in the 12th game.
The Wimbeldon second seed next meets another big server in Australian Mark Philippoussis.