Bertens stuns Pliskova as last top 10 seed falls

LONDON: Kiki Bertens knocked out the last top 10 seed in the women´s singles at Wimbledon as the Dutch world number 20 stunned Karolina Pliskova with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) victory in the fourth round on Monday.

Bertens followed her shock third round success against five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams by claiming the scalp of Czech seventh seed Pliskova.

The exit of former world number one Pliskova came after the women´s draw was blown wide open by surprise defeats earlier in the tournament for Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens.

Germany´s Angelique Kerber, seeded 11th, is the top ranked player remaining.

But the title favourite is seven-time champion Serena Williams, seeded 25th after her lengthy maternity leave, and due to face Russian qualifier -- and fellow mother -- Evgeniya Rodina later on Monday.

Bertens, a French Open semi-finalist in 2016, is into the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time.

The 26-year-old faces German 13th seed Julia Goerges or Croatian world number 55 Donna Vekic on Tuesday.

Bertens, who was contemplating retirement last year after losing her enthusiasm for the sport, is the first Dutch woman to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Michaella Krajicek in 2007.