Six years after accusing the now-retired Justine Henin of "lying and fabricating" in a controversial semi-final defeat in Paris, Serena Williams has once again accused her opponent of cheating.

Serena Williams laid into Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez after dispatching the Spaniard 4-6 6-3 6-4 to reach the fourth round.

Martinez Sanchez secured an ill-tempered first set with a controversial shot which appeared to have ricocheted off her arm on its way over the net.

"The ball did touch her 100 percent on her arm," said Williams, who struggled with breathing problems in the match.

"The rules of tennis are when the ball hits your body, then it's out of play. You lose a point automatically. So the ball hit her body, and therefore, she should have lost the point instead of cheating. It was clearly my point ... I've never sunk low." said the angry Williams sister.

At break point in the fifth game, the younger of the Williams sisters slammed the ball into Martinez Sanchez.

The Spaniard appeared to lift her racket to try to deflect the ball back but Serena was convinced otherwise.

The 2002 French Open champion protested angrily to chair umpire Emmanuel Joseph and having failed to overturn his decision, she warned "she'd better not come to the net again".

Unlike Serena Williams, Martinez Sanchez retained her composure and refused to get drawn into a slanging match.

"I put the racket up. The ball was in and it was a point for me. It didn't hit me or my body. To say I'm a cheat is stupid. I'm not commenting on it." said the 26-year-old.