Muguruza derails top seed Kerber at Wimbledon

Top seed Angelique Kerber was knocked out of the last 16 of Wimbledon by Garbine Muguruza on Monday, ensuring she will lose her world No 1 ranking and marking the ninth consecutive time Kerber has failed to beat a top-20 opponent.

Muguruza won 4-6 6-4 6-4 and has now beaten Kerber in five straight matches.

Romanian Simona Halep could now take the world No 1 crown if she reaches the semifinals at Wimbledon. Halep beat Victoria Azarenka on Monday to move into the quarters, where she will face Johanna Konta.

There was a bitter irony for Kerber who, despite being somewhat hampered by her left knee, produced her best display in months and yet bids farewell to Wimbledon and her status as the world’s best.

“We both played a good match but in the end it was just two points that decided the match,” said Kerber.

“Of course I’m disappointed that I lost the match, because I was really playing good.”

Konta became the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Jo Durie in 1984 when she outlasted Caroline Garcia of France 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 on Monday.

Konta had previously won only one match in five Wimbledon appearances. But after racking up her fourth in this tournament, she now finds herself facing Halep and, with the woman’s draw looking wide open, has an outside chance of becoming the first home champion since Virginia Wade 40 years ago.

Venus Williams became the oldest woman to reach the quarterfinals in 23 years when the 37-year-old beat Ana Konjuh in the fourth round. Williams, the US 10th seed, beat the Croatian 27th seed 6-3 6-2 on centre court. Martina Navratilova was older than her when she reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 1994.

At 19, Konjuh was not even born when five-time champion Williams made her Wimbledon debut in 1997. Williams faces French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.