Tennis-Serena stunned by Tan in first-round epic

Seven-time champion Serena Williams suffered a second straight Wimbledon first-round exit as she was stunned by French debutant Harmony Tan in a late-night Centre Court epic on Tuesday.

Seven-time champion Serena Williams suffered a second straight Wimbledon first-round exit as she was stunned by French debutant Harmony Tan in a late-night Centre Court epic on Tuesday. A year after the American retired injured from what many feared would be her last Wimbledon match, her return was eagerly anticipated but 115th-ranked Tan ripped up the script for a stomach-churning 7-5 1-6 7-6(7) win.

With the Centre Court roof closed and the time approaching the 11pm Wimbledon curfew, Tan had one match point snatched away when Williams served at 5-6 in a rollercoaster deciding set. A weary Williams then appeared to be close to victory as she went 4-0 ahead in the tiebreak played to 10.

But Tan, who had never played a Wimbledon main draw match before, was not finished and clawed her way into a 9-7 lead before sealing victory as Williams netted a forehand.