Centre court queen Maria Sharapova, the 2004 champion, was sensationally dumped out of Wimbledon on Wednesday losing 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to Argentina's Gisela Dulko in the second round. Dulko, who needed five knife-edge match points to seal victory after 2hr 13min, goes on to face Russian 10th seed Nadia Petrova for a place in the last 16.
But for Sharapova, defeat will cast further doubts over the ability of the sport's most bankable star to ever return to her former powers following a 10-month absence from the tour nursing a shoulder injury. "It's the biggest win of my career because she's a great champion and on centre court in the most important tournament in the world," said the 24-year-old Dulko.
Dulko was quickly a break ahead to lead 2-0 as the Argentine showed few nerves playing in front of 15,000 people. The world number 45, had the Russian scampering from side to side and took the opening set in the eighth game courtesy of a sweeping, crosscourt forehand winner.
Sharapova was soon in trouble again as the slender Argentine nipped ahead to a 3-0 lead in the second set, courtesy of a break in the second game. Dulko had lost both her previous meetings with Sharapova, but the Russian is nothing if not competitive and she was back in contention with a break to trail 2-3. Two successive double faults from a suddenly frail-looking Dulko then allowed Sharapova to lead 4-3 which became 5-3 on a service hold.
Results:
Wimbledon results on Wednesday, the third day of the 2009 championships (x denotes seeding):
Men (First round)
-- Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) bt Taylor Dent (USA) 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4.
-- Second round: Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Rainer Schuettler (GER x18) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-2; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x9) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) - walkover; Mardy Fish (USA x28) bt Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Novak Djokovic (SRB x4) bt Simon Greul (GER) 7-5, 6-1, 6-4
Women (Second round:
-- Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x14) bt Urszula Radwanska (POL) 6-2, 6-4; Nadia Petrova (RUS x10) bt Shahar Peer (ISR) 6-3, 6-2; Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) bt Zheng Jie (CHN x16) 6-3, 7-5; Ai Sugiyama (JPN) bt Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Virginie Razzano (FRA x26) bt Jill Craybas (USA) 6-3, 6-0; Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Vera Dushevina (RUS) 6-3, 6-4; Gisela Dulko (ARG) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS x24) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.