Fans were stunned when Kudryavtseva, the daughter of a Greco-Roman world champion wrestler, floored third seed Sharapova in the second round and then the 1.85-metre tall Ivanovic was blown off by the diminutive Zheng.

“Everybody can present a challenge. Everybody is hungry. This girl that beat me... she might not win the tournament but she beat me and it probably made her tournament,” Sharapova said after winning only six games against her 154th-ranked opponent.

French Open runner-up Dinara Safina (9), Daniela Hantuchova (10), last year’s Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli (11), Patty Schnyder (12), Vera Zvonareva (13) and Victoria Azarenka (16) were also felled in the first week.

With both draws depleted, few would now bet against four-times champion Venus Williams contesting the women’s final with her sister Serena on Saturday, followed by Federer and Nadal playing out Act III of their intriguing Wimbledon rivalry in the men’s final the following day. (Reuters)

Nadal wins race against time

Rafael Nadal chalked up a late-night win over Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer in the third round on Saturday. Nadal won 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-3 and next neets Mikhail Youznhy, who won a five-set marathon over Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3. Croatian Marin Cilic upset France’s 14th seed Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (6).