Tennis
Sharapova stunned as Russian outsider sends her home early
By DPA
Jun 26, 2008, 18:44 GMT

London - The 2004 champion Maria Sharapova was slammed with the worst loss of her Wimbledon career in a 6-2, 6-4 second-round ambush by fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva on Thursday.

The number 154 outsider literally jumped for joy on the grass after profitting at the expense of the ragged third seed in a shocker lasting less than 90 minutes.

Sharapova, her form suspect throughout, left memories of her teenaged triumph at the All England club well in the past as she committed 22 unforced errors and set up her opponent's match point with an eighth double-fault.

'It wasn't my day, she just did everything better than I did,' said the third seed. 'She played much better, she hit the ball harder. She served and returned better.

'On grass, you know those are two important elements. She had nothing to lose. She went for her shots. I was just pretty tentative.'

Kudryavtseva drove a cross-court winner past the reigning Australian Open champion to duplicate her Roland Garros showing of 2007.

Sharapova lost twice in Wimbledon fourth rounds, the previous earliest defeats for the three-time Grand Slam champion.

'Losses are all disappointing, obviously,' said Sharapova, now with an enforced holiday until the American hardcourts begin for her next month.

'A loss is a loss. There's only one winner in the tournament and everybody else is disappointed - I'm one of them.'

Kudryavtseva converted on her victory chance after learning from a wasted opportunity a year ago against Venus Williams, when she won the opening set against the eventual champion.

Williams, seeded seventh due to lack of play this season, found herself working hard in the first before finally conquering the last Britis contender, Anne Keothavong, 7-5, 6-2.

'After the first two games I was definitely feeling good, but no match is predictable,' she said of a contest lasting one hour, 40 minutes.

'I like to have it go my way and I'm glad that it did go my way, but that's not necessarily exactly how I planned it.'

Koethavong put pressure on the seventh seed but was able to convert on just one of 11 break chances while losing her own serve four times.

Williams needed more than an hour to secure the first set against the number 92.

Serb second seed Jelena Jankovic defied the stress which her number one compatriot Ana Ivanovic had to suffer in a nail-biting win 24 hours earlier, as she crushed Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro with 6- 1, 6-3 ease.

French Open finalist Dinara Safina, the number nine, put out Hsieh Su-Wei 6-3, 6-2 while Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn upset Russian number 13 Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (12-10), 4-6, 6-3.

Two-time men's finalist Rafael Nadal saw off a potential threat from Latvian Ernests Gulbis, with the Spaniard earning a 5-7, 6-2, 7- 6 (7-2), 6-3 win. 'I'm very happy with this win today for sure,' said Nadal. 'I know I had a very tough opponent. It's an important win for me.'

Nadal received an early start so that he could gather with his group their rented home for the Euro 2008 semifinal between Spain and Russia, with the winner to face Germany on Sunday.

'Win, only win,' was the keen fan's prediction. German tennis rose to the occasion on another sunny day with a victory hat-trick from a trio of experienced hands.

Old stager Rainer Schuettler, 32, produced a surprise knockout of patchy American ninth seed James Blake 6-3, 6-7 (8-10), 4-6, 6-4, 6- 4.

He was joined by 29-year-old Tommy Haas and 30-year-old Nicolas Kiefer in the third round.