Tsvetana Pironkova’s stunning 6-2, 6-3 upset over five-time Wimbledon champion and No. 2 seed Venus Williams Tuesday in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon is the biggest upset in the history of the tournament.
Consider that Pironkova is ranked No. 82 in the world and prior to this year at Wimbledon had never advanced beyond the second round at a major tournament. The Bulgarian handed Williams, arguably one of the top three women players ever at Wimbledon, her worst ever loss at the All England Club.
Bud Collins, the Hall of Fame tennis historian and journalist, in his authoritative book THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS ($35.95, New Chapter Press, www.NewChapterMedia.com) documents the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history below.
Where does Pironkova over Williams rank?
EARLIEST LOSS OF A No. 1 SEED
* 1962 Unseeded Billie Jean Moffitt (King) d. 1st seed Margaret Court, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, 2nd rd. (1st defeat for 1st seed in 1st match)
* 1994 Lorl McNeil (No. 22) d. 1st seed defending champ Steffi Graf, 7-5, 7-6(7-5), 1st rd. (only 1st rd defeat of a No. 1 seeded defending champion)
* 1999 Jelena Dokic (Q) def. No. 1 seed Martina Hingis, 6-2, 6-0 in 1st rd.
* 2001 Virginia Ruano Pascual (No. 83) d. 1st seed Martina Hingis, 6-4, 6-2, 1st rd.
EARLIEST LOSS OF A DEFENDING CHAMPION
* 1994 Lori McNeil (No. 22) d. 1st seed defending champ Steffi Graf, 7-5, 7-6(7-5), 1st rd. (only 1st rd defeat of a No. 1 seeded
defending champion)
OTHER UPSETS
* 1921 Non-seed Betty Nuthall d. 6th seed Molla Mallory, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0, 3rd rd.
* 1928 Non-seed Helene Contostavlos Nicolopoulo d. 5th seed Kea Bouman, 12-10, 8-6, 3rd rd.
* 1929 Non-seed Mary Hart McIlquham d. 2nd seed Lili de Alvarez, 1928 finalist, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 4th rd.
* 1959 Non-seed Yola Ramirez d. 1st seed Christine Truman, 6-3, 6-2,QF
* 1962 Non-seed Vera Puzejova Sukova d. 6th seed defending champ Angela Mortimer, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4th rd.: 2nd seed Darlene Hard, 6-4, 6-3, QF; 3rd seed Maria Bueno, 6-4, 6-3, SF
* 1974 8th seed Olga Morozova d. 1st seed defending champ Billie Jean King, 7-5, 6-2, QF
* 1983 Non-seed Kathy Jordan d. 2nd seed Chris Evert, 6-1, 7-6 (7-2), 3rd rd. (only time Evert failed to make SF at Wimbledon) Non-seed Liz Sayers Smylie d. 3rd seed Hana Mandlikova, 6-1, 7-6(7-5), 3rd rd. Also qualifier Molly Van Nostrand (No. 154) d. 4th seed Manuela Maleeva, 7-5, 6-2 in 4th rd.
* 1986 Anne Hobbs (No. 51) d. No. 9 seed Zina Garrison, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4,(Court Two), 2nd rd.
* 1990 5th seed Zina Garrison d. 3rd seed Monica Seles. 3-6, 6-3, 9-7 in the QF; 1st seed and defending champ Steffi Graf, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the SF
* 1991 9th seed Jennifer Capriati, d. 3rd seed and defending champ Martina Navratilova, 6-4, 7-5, QF
* 1996 Katarina Studenikova (No. 59) d. 2nd seed Monica Seles, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4, 2nd rd.
* 1997 Anna Kournikova (No. 43) d. 4th seed Iva Majoli, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, QF. Also, Denise Chladkova (No. 89) d. 5th seed Lindsay Davenport, 7-5, 6-2, 2nd rd.
* 1998 Non-seed Natasha Zvereva (No. 22) d. 4th seed Steffi Graf, 6-4, 7-5, 3rd rd.; and 6th seed Monica Seles, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 in the QF. Also, wild card Samantha Smith (No. 94) d. Conchita Martinez (No. 7), 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, (Court Two), 3rd rd.
* 1999 Mirjana Lucic (No. 134) d. 8th seed Nathalie Tauziat. 4-6. 6-4, 7-5, in QF. Also, Jelena Dokic (No.129) d. No. 1 Martina Hingis, 6-2, 6-0, 1st rd and No. 9 Mary Pierce, 6-4, 6-3, (Court Two) QF
* 2001 Lilia Osterloh (No. 51) d. No. 13 seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, (Court Two), 2nd rd.
* 2004 No. 13 seed Maria Sharapova d. Serena Williams (Seeded No. 1, defending champion), F, 6-1, 6-4. Also, Karolina Sprem (No. 30) d. No. 3 seed Venus Williams 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) in 2nd rd. Also, No. 31 seed Amy Frazier d. No. 2 seed Anastasia Myskina 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in 3rd rd
* 2005 No. 85-ranked Jill Craybas d. No. 3 seed Serena Williams 6-3, 7-6 (4) in 3rd rd. (Court Two), Also, No. 76 Eleni Daniilidou d. No. 7 seed Justine Henin Hardenne 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-5 in 1st rd, ending 24-match winning streak
2007 No. 18 seed Marion Bartoli d. No. 1 seed Justine Henin 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 in SF. Also, Laura Granville (No. 77) d. Martina Hingis (Seed No. 9), 6-4, 6-2, (Court Two), 3rd rd.