USA's Serena Williams in action against Russia's Elena Vesnina REUTERS
Olympic
champion and world number one Serena Williams tumbled out of the Rio de
Janeiro singles competition in the third round on Tuesday (August 9)
after a shock defeat to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.Svitolina, who is ranked 20th in the world, stunned the London Games gold medallist 6-4 6-3 to record a memorable victory against the American, who has won 22 grand slam singles titles.
Svitolina will face Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova in the quarter finals.
Late in the second set, Williams served five double faults in a single game, which drew gasps from a shocked audience.
Williams, who has won three women’s doubles Olympic titles with sister Venus, was also eliminated with her sister from the doubles on Sunday