Like in France two weeks ago, the women's top seeds are having a tough time on court with American powerhouse Williams the latest giant killing following a three sets, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, loss to the 25th ranked player.

Li Na was the first casualty yesterday as she was sent packing by the Czech Republic's Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova.

It is the first time in nine years that Williams has been knocked out so early, and only the third time in 15 visits to Wimbledon.

The result looked unimaginable in the first set as the American powered to a 6-1 lead, despite a four-hour rain delay after just two games.

Cornet, who had already beaten the world number one in Dubai earlier this year, came battling back in the second as she surged to a 5-1 lead, before serving out the set at 6-3.

Four break points slipped by in the opening game of the third, but Cornet was having plenty of joy on the Williams second serve and moved to within two points of victory on serve at 5-2.

The win is a second of the year for Alize Cornet over Serena Williams but her first against a top-20 player at a Grand Slam event ©Getty Images



Williams had already been knocked out in the fourth round of the Australian Open and second round of the French Open this year and looked to revive her chances as she broke back to heap the pressure on Cornet.

After a successful service game to pull the set back to 5-4, the five-time Wimbledon champion's challenge collapsed, however, with a weak backhand crashing into the net to give the French player her first win against a top-20 player in a Grand Slam and progression to the fourth round.

Meanwhile, French Open champion Maria Sharapova secured safe entry into the fourth round as she dominated American Alison Riske 6-3, 6-0.

Riske, the world number 44, took an early 3-1 lead, however, this would prove the highlight of her match as Russian 2004 Wimbledon Champion Sharapova took to the driving seat to book her spot comfortably into the fourth round.

French Open runner-up Simona Halep was back on court after a tough encounter with Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko yesterday.

The Romanian looked more like her normal self today as she cruised to a 6-4, 6-1 victory against Switzerland's Belinda Bencicon in just 70 minutes.

Spain's Rafael Nadal had to come from behind again to defeat Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 under the Centre Court roof as rain stopped matches elsewhere at Wimbledon.

The French Open champion has lost the opening set in each of his last three games at the All England Club but did well to recover and run rampant in the final three sets.

Rafael Nadal has lost the first set in each of his last three matches at Wimbledon
©Getty Images



Wimbledon legend and seven-time champion Roger Federer was also under the roof as he progressed comfortably to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Santiago Giraldo of Colombia.

The man from Switzerland is yet to drop a set at Wimbledon and took just 22 minutes to settle the second set.

With rain delaying much of the play on day six of the tournament, many games have been suspended until Monday.

The Court One fixture between German Sabine Lisicki and Serbian Ana Ivanovic was stopped at the beginning of the second set with Lisicki edging the first 6-4.

Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka's encounter with Danis Istomin of Uzbekistan will have to wait for another day after it was cancelled before play got underway, with United States duo Bob and Mike Bryan also being frustrated by the weather as their match against Roberto Bautista Agut and Igor Sijsling was called off.

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