Wimbledon: Garbine Muguruza dumped out

Slovakia’s Jana Cepelova celebrates her 6-3, 6-2 win over Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in their second round match at Wimbledon on Thursday. (Photo: AFP)

Garbine Muguruza, the second seed and French Open champion, was knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round on Thursday, losing 6-3, 6-2 to Slovak qualifier Jana Cepelova.

Spanish 22-year-old Muguruza, the runner-up to Serena Williams at the All England Club last year, sank to defeat against the world number 124 in just 59 minutes.

Cepelova, who knocked out Simona Halep when the Romanian was ranked three at last year’s Wimbledon also on Court One, faces Czech 28th seed Lucie Safarova for a place in the last 16.

Muguruza was bidding to become only the eighth woman to win the French Open and Wimbledon back to back.

Later, Andy Murray maintained his challenge for a second title as the world number two crushed Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 in the second round.

Venus Williams ignored her exile to unglamourous Court 18 as the five-time champion defeated Greek qualifier Maria Sakkari 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Williams, seeded eighth, was a surprise choice to play on one of Wimbledon’s smaller outside courts.

For a while, it seemed she might come to curse the decision of the All England Club schedule makers.

Venus hadn’t lost to a player outside the top 100 at a Grand Slam since a 1999 defeat against Barbara Schwartz at the US Open.

But the 36-year-old, the oldest woman in this year’s main draw, was teetering on the brink of an embarrassing second round exit when world number 115 Sakkari levelled at one-set all.

Meanwhile, Grigor Dimitrov announced his return to form, putting out 16th seed Gilles Simon 6-3, 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4 with an exhibition of power, speed and deft touch in the second round.

The 25-year-old Bulgarian has suffered a slump since he reached a career-high ranking of nine in 2014, the year he beat defending champion Andy Murray to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals. “I lost my focus a little bit,” he said. “All of a sudden I got drawn into his rhythm... He’s a pretty mellow fellow...I’m just glad I got it back.”

Nineteen-year-old Bencic became the highest-ranked casualty at Wimbledon when the seventh seed retired from her second round match against American qualifier Julia Boserup.

Bencic was 6-4, 1-0 down on Court Three to the world number 225 who is making her Grand Slam debut.

Spain’s David Ferrer, the 13th seed, lost to fellow 34-year-old — and grass court specialist — Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.

Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, regarded as a dark horse for the title, brushed past Andreas Seppi 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-2.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori came from behind to down France’s Julien Benneteau to book his place in the third round. Nishikori, the world number six, won 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 on Centre Court in two hours and 36 minutes.