Wimbledon round-up: Martina Hingis' return to Wimbledon ended with a shock defeat in the third round today.
The former world number one, who won the title here in 1997 but hadn't played in SW19 since 2001 due to a premature period of retirement, was beaten by 18th seed Ai Sugiyama, 7-5 3-6 6-4.
Hingis seemed to be on her way to victory when she cancelled out a one-set deficit and led by a double break of serve at 3-0 in the decider.
However, her own fragile serve couldn't see her over the finish line and Sugiyama won five of the last six games to clinch a famous victory.
Earlier David Nalbandian had become the highest men's seed to exit the tournament with a 6-7 (9-11) 6-7 (9-11) 2-6 defeat by Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.
The Argentinian fourth seed was dispatched in straight sets by 22-year-old Verdasco in a fiery clash on Court 13 which saw both players warned for racket abuse.
Former finalist Nalbandian paved the way for his own downfall by squandering 12 break points in first set alone and he had ample opportunity to take the second.
But Verdasco, the 28th seed, held his nerve in the tie-breaks and deserved to clinch the biggest win of his career, reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam event for only the second time.
Top seed and defending champion Roger Federer dropped his serve for the first time in this year's tournament before sealing his place in the last 16.
Federer was made to fight all the way before seeing off the brave challenge of France's Nicolas Mahut 6-3 7-6 6-4.
The world number one served for the match at 5-3 in the third set only to be broken to 15, but hit straight back to break his 24-year-old opponent and claim his 44th straight win on grass.
Federer has yet to drop a set in the championships and in fact, since losing the first set of the final against Andy Roddick in 2004, the 24-year-old has lost just one set at the All England Club.
Lleyton Hewitt advanced to the third round after prevailing in his one-set shoot-out with Hyung-Taik Lee.
The match resumed at two sets all after bad light brought a halt to proceedings on Thursday night.
And it was the Australian who kept his nerve to secure a 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 victory and a meeting with Olivier Rochus.
Max Mirnyi sent eighth seed James Blake packing by winning a see-saw battle.
Blake looked in control of the third-round clash when he won the third set to take a two-sets-to-one lead, but Mirnyi hit back in fine fashion, forcing the American's game to crumble.
Mirnyi, one of few genuine serve-volleyers left on the tour, went on to record a 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-1 6-0 victory which sets up a meeting with Swede Jonas Bjorkman.
Back in the ladies' singles, fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova crashed out to the number 27 - China's Na Li.
Everything appeared to be going according to plan for Kuznetsova when she won the first set 6-3.
But Li came back strongly to take the next two sets 6-2 6-3 and clinch a shock victory.
Third seed Justine Henin-Hardenne held her concentration after witnessing the collapse of a ball girl to ease through to the fourth round.
The French Open champion was serving for the first set against Russian teenager Anna Chakvetadze and was just two points from winning it when play was suspended to enable the girl to be helped from Court Two after fainting in the sweltering heat.
It was only a minor distraction, however, as the world number three despatched the 19-year-old Chakvetadze 6-2 6-3 in just 66 minutes. PA