Australian Open champ joins Wimbledon seeds cull
The sixth-seeded American was sent crashing on American Independence Day 6-3 6-3 by the tough German veteran Laura Siegmund as she became the fifth of the top-six seeds, and sixth out of the top-10, to be sent spinning out of the event on Friday.
Keys had been out to become the first player since Amelie Mauresmo, in 2006, to pull off the AO-Wimbledon double but the world No.104 Siegemund, playing some of her best tennis at 37, was in inspired mood in the sunshine on No.2 Court.
She outplayed the big-hitting American and even when getting nervous with the winning line in sight, held her nerve. "If you don't have nerves, then you're probably dead!" she joked with the crowd afterwards.
"I only play for myself, I don't feel like I need to prove anything any more - my boyfriend tells me that," beamed Siegemund, now the oldest player left in the women's draw.
"It's important to remember the core of why you are doing this. I'm playing for me and I don't feel pressure this way."
She'll next play Solana Sierra, who became the first woman 'lucky loser' to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon, beating Spain's Cristina Bucsa 7-5 1-6 6-1.
How must this have made Australian Talia Gibson feel? She had knocked out Sierra out in the final match of qualifying, only to get knocked out in the first round herself.
Meanwhile, her Argentine victim Sierra got a reprieve and was brought into the draw as a 'lucky loser' and has since won three matches, knocking out another Australian Olivia Gadecki in the opening round and Alex de Minaur's British fiancee Katie Boulter in the second.
Earlier, four-time major winner Naomi Osaka's hope of finally getting to the last-16 of a slam that's she's never mastered fell short as she surrendered a one-set lead to go down 3-6 6-4 6-4 to former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
The former world No.1, who's been a two-time champion at both the US Open and Australian Open, hadn't been in the last-32 for seven years
She looked set to claim a small piece of personal history before failing to capitalise on two break points at 4-4 in set two and subsequently going down 3-6 6-4 6-4.
Pavlyuchenkova, a Wimbledon quarter-finalist nine years ago, will next take on the soaring Briton Sonay Kartal, who had the home crowd cheering on No.1 Court as she defeated French qualifier Diane Parry 6-4 6-2 to make the last-16 of a grand slam for the first time in her career.
The 23-year-old Kartal, ranked 298 this time last year, will now break into the top 50 and could even finish the tournament as British No.1, ahead of the Emma Raducanu and Boulter.
American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova at least avoided the cull of seeds, as she beat Hungary's Dalma Galfi 6-3 5-7 6-3.
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