schema:articleBody
| - Serena Williams was knocked out of the Australian Open in the third round by China's Wang Qiang on Friday, destroying her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown. AFP Sport highlights the American great's failed attempts at history since winning the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant. - Pulled out of her fourth-round clash with Maria Sharapova with a pectoral injury in her first Slam since having a baby. - An error-strewn Williams defeated in the final by Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 6-3, the German's maiden Wimbledon title and third Grand Slam crown. - Beaten 6-2, 6-4 by Japan's Naomi Osaka in a controversial and emotional final that left both players in tears. - Squandered four match points and a 5-1 third-set lead against Karolina Pliskova to crash out in the quarter-finals 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. - Upset in the third round 6-2, 7-5 by unseeded American Sofia Kenin, her worst Grand Slam exit since Wimbledon in 2014, when she fell at the same hurdle. - Destroyed 6-2, 6-2 in just 56 minutes in the final by Simona Halep in perhaps the Romanian's finest performance. - Toppled by teenager and 15th seed Bianca Andreescu in a rollercoaster 6-3, 7-5 final in a performance Williams called "inexcusable". - Sensationally dumped out by Chinese 27th seed Wang. mp/pst
|