Cornet gives Williams early Wimbledon exit

Published 8:09 pm Saturday, June 28, 2014

LONDON (AP) — Five-time champion Serena Williams lost to 25th-seeded Alize Cornet of France 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the third round of Wimbledon on Saturday.

It’s Williams’ earliest exit at the All England Club since 2005, when she also was beaten in the third round.

The No. 1-ranked and No. 1-seeded Williams owns 17 Grand Slam titles, but she now has departed before the quarterfinals at four of the past five major tournaments. That includes a fourth-round loss at the Australian Open in January, and a second-round loss at the French Open in May.

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But of Williams’ five total losses in all tournaments this season, two have come against Cornet, who also beat the American at the Dubai Championships in February.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer got back to the second week at Wimbledon after last year’s early exit, beating 35th-ranked Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 Saturday.

Playing with the roof shut at Centre Court on a rainy day, the fourth-seeded Federer saved the only two break points he faced and was never really tested.

Federer, who owns 17 Grand Slam titles, lost in the second round at the All England Club in 2013, ending his streak of reaching the quarterfinals at 36 consecutive major tournaments.

Giraldo never has been past the third round at a major.