Top seed Swiatek stunned by Cornet in Wimbledon third round

(Adds UPDATE 1 in headline, no changes to text)

By Martyn Herman

LONDON : World number one and top seed Iga Swiatek suffered a shock third-round defeat at Wimbledon when she crashed 6-4 6-2 to France's 32-year-old Alize Cornet on Saturday.

Swiatek, the red-hot favourite and boasting a 37-match winning streak spanning four months, was well below her best as she lost the last six games of the match on Court One.

Cornet, appearing in a record-equalling 62nd consecutive Grand Slam tournament, took full advantage of Swiatek's unease with a calm and composed display to win in one hour 32 minutes.

"It reminds me of when I beat Serena (Williams) here eight years ago on the same court; maybe this court is a lucky charm," the 37th-ranked Cornet said.

"I live for this kind of match. It really drives me. I knew I could do it and I had belief because maybe Iga feels a little less comfortable on grass than other surfaces."

Williams was also world number one when beaten by Cornet in 2014 and the Frenchwoman rose to the occasion again this time.

She won the opening three games and then held off a Swiatek fightback to pocket the opening set - only the fourth set Swiatek had dropped in her amazing winning run.

Swiatek looked as though she had gained some momentum when she went 2-0 ahead in the second set but could not sustain her level and Cornet swept through the set.

Standing between Cornet and her second Grand Slam quarter-final of the year is unseeded Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.