On a chaotic day at Wimbledon when injuries forced seven players to withdraw, Maria Sharapova managed to play and finish her match.
The result was the same: Sharapova is out of the tournament.
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In the second major Wimbledon upset in three days, the third-seeded Sharapova was knocked out of the grass-court Grand Slam by a 131st-ranked qualifier.
The 2004 Wimbledon champion was stunned 6-3, 6-4 by Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal in the second round.
Sharapova tumbled several times on the grass. Trailing 3-2 in the second set, her right leg gave way behind the baseline, and she did the splits.
“I don’t think I’ve ever fallen three times in a match before in my career, so that was a little strange,” Sharapova said. “But that’s certainly not an excuse.”
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Larcher de Brito, 20, held her nerve in the final 10-minute, 18-point game to serve out the match. She saved two break points and finally converted on her fifth match point when Sharapova hit a forehand into the net.
“I can’t believe it,” Larcher de Brito said. “I just tried to stay calm. I just played so well. I just hung in there. In the last couple of points or games, I just gave it my all and went for it.”
Among the other departures Wednesday: second-seeded Victoria Azarenka (walkover, right knee), men’s No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (retirement, left knee), John Isner (retirement, left knee), 10th-seeded Marin Cilic (walkover, left knee) and Steve Darcis (walkover, right shoulder). Darcis was the man who stunned two-time champion Rafael Nadal in the first round Monday.
12th-seeded Ivanovic falls: Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, 19, picked up the biggest victory of her career, beating 12th-seeded Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the third round.
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The 66th-ranked Bouchard won the girls’ title at Wimbledon a year ago.
Wozniacki loses: Playing with tape on her right ankle, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki slumped to a 6-2, 6-2 defeat to Petra Cetkovska.
The 196th-ranked Cetkovska, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon two years ago, erased the six break points she faced and hit 30 winners.
Stephens advances: American Sloane Stephens reached the third round with a 7-6 (2), 2-6, 8-6 win over Andrea Petkovic of Germany.
The 17th-seeded Stephens served for the match at 5-3 in the third set, but got broken. Stephens broke serve at love in the final game to win the match, which lasted 2 hours, 36 minutes.
