She is now the only woman left in the draw who has won the trophy at the All England Club, after her older sister, five-time champion Venus, lost to No20 Kiki Bertens 6-2, 6-7 (5), 8-6 yesterday, joining defending champion Garbine Muguruza, two-time winner Petra Kvitova and 2004 champion Maria Sharapova as week one departures.
And the number of remaining top-10 seeds is down to two after No9 Venus and No10 Madison Keys - beaten 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 yesterday by Evgeniya Rodina, a qualifier ranked only 120th - were sent home. Only No1 Simona Halep and No7 Karolina Pliskova, a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 winner against No29 Mihaela Buzarnescu - are still around from the top 10.
The men have had some upsets, too, but far fewer, and eight-time champion Roger Federer continued his easy progress through the draw by running his Wimbledon streak to 29 consecutive sets.
No8 Kevin Anderson and No9 John Isner - the highest-ranked American man, he'd never before reached the fourth round at the grass-court major - won in straight sets, while No11 Sam Querrey, of the US, was eliminated 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 by Gael Monfils, of France.
Isner next plays No31 Stefanos Tsitsipas, the first Greek man into the round of 16 at a grand slam tournament in the 50-year professional era of tennis.
Serena was seeded 25th by the All England Club, a bump from her ranking of 181st owing to her time away from the game. This is only the fourth tournament of her return after giving birth last September.
Serena herself is well aware that she tends to get her opponents' best.
"Every single match I play - whether I'm coming back from a baby or surgery, it doesn't matter - these young ladies, they bring a game that I've never seen before," she said.
"It's a totally different game than when they play me. That's what makes me great: I always play everyone at their greatest, so I have to be greater."
- AP
