Wimbledon: Venus Williams won’t win sixth title

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Even before Tsvetana Pironkova, ranked 82nd in the world, took Court 1 against five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, the 22-year-old Bulgarian already had recorded her best-ever major tournament result, by two rounds. When the match was over, a 1-hour, 25-minute drubbing of Williams, 6-2, 6-3, Pironkova was nearly speechless.

‘It seems like a dream,’ Pironkova said. ‘She also did well, but I have won over her before, and I thought I could win so I was just going for it.’

Williams had 29 unforced errors and only five winners, and there was never a moment when Williams seemed poised to make any kind of attacking move because her forehand was so unsteady, sending the ball to the middle of the net so many times she seemed to wear it out. And whereas Williams can often win easy points with her big serve, in this match she had more double faults (five) than aces (three).

Pironkova beat Williams the last time they played, but that was four years ago at the Australian Open. Until Tuesday, Pironkova was 0-6 when playing opponents ranked in the top two in the world.

-- Diane Pucin in Wimbledon, England