LONDON: Garbine Muguruza, the world number two and French Open champion, was knocked out of Wimbledon on Thursday as Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori struggled into the third round.

A below-par Muguruza, who was runner-up to Serena Williams last year, lost 6-3, 6-2 to Slovak qualifier Jana Cepelova, the world number 124, in just 59 minutes on Court One.

It was the same arena where the 23-year-old Cepelova had defeated Simona Halep last year, a result which illustrated the Slovak’s liking for the big time -- having also seen off Williams in Charleston in 2014.

“I deserved to win. I’m so happy,” said Cepelova.

Spanish 22-year-old Muguruza was bidding to become only the eighth woman to win the French Open and Wimbledon back to back.

But she was undone by 22 unforced errors and hitting just nine winners in a flat performance.

Nishikori saw off France’s Julien Benneteau, whose world ranking has sunk to 547 due to injury, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 on Centre Court and goes on to meet Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov.

“I started playing more aggressive and more solid,” said the 26-year-old Nishikori, who has never got beyond the Wimbledon fourth round.

“It wasn’t an easy match. He started well so it was a great match for me.”

Nineteen-year-old Belinda Bencic, the Swiss seventh seed, retired from her second round match against US qualifier Julia Boserup.

Bencic was 6-4, 1-0 down on Court Three to the world number 225.

Bencic, who missed the clay court season with a back injury, had only completed her first round match late Wednesday and struggled Thursday with a wrist problem.

“It’s my left wrist. I think I have to get it checked. It started a couple of days ago,” said Bencic. “It just got worse. That’s why I had to retire.”

Boserup, 24, goes on to face Andrea Petkovic of Germany or Russia’s Elena Vesnina for a place in the last 16.

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.

Raonic, a semi-finalist in 2014 and who next faces Jack Sock of the United States, denied stories he had split with coach John McEnroe after just three weeks together.

“It’s inaccurate. He was there with me this morning,” he said.

Sock’s compatriot Sam Querrey, the 28th seed, eased past Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 for the dubious honour of facing defending champion Novak Djokovic for a place in the last 16.

Britain’s Dan Evans also booked a date to remember when his 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1 win over Ukrainian 30th seed Aleksandr Dolgopolov handed him a third round clash with seven-time champion Roger Federer.

rench 16th seed Gilles Simon was knocked out by former semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov but was a winner in the ranting stakes after blasting officials for making him play during light afternoon drizzle.

“I won’t play when it rains. I know you have commitments to TV but if I get injured I will sue you and I will win,” Simon told the umpire before the brief shower passed on.

Five-time women’s champion Venus Williams ignored her exile to Court 18 to battle past Greek qualifier Maria Sakkari 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

The 36-year-old eighth seed next plays Russian 29th seed Darya Kasatkina for a place in the last 16.

German fourth seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber beat Varvara Lepchenko of the United States 6-1, 6-4.

There were also second round wins for fifth seed Simona Halep of Romania and US ninth-seed Madison Keys.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: John Millman (Australia) bt 26-Benoit Paire (France) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Albert Ramos (Spain) bt 25-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3; 19-Bernard Tomic (Australia) bt Radu Albot (Moldova) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3; Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) bt 16-Gilles Simon (France) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4; 5-Kei Nishikori (Japan) bt Julien Benneteau (France) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2; 9-Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-4; 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) bt Andreas Seppi (Italy) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-2; Steve Johnson (US) bt Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3; 27-Jack Sock (US) bt Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4; Lukas Lacko (Slovakia) bt 23-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) bt Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) bt Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-0), 6-2; Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) bt Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Nicolas Mahut (France) bt 13-David Ferrer (Spain) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3; 11-David Goffin (Belgium) bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 6-4, 6-0, 6-3; Daniel Evans (Britain) bt 30-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1; 14-Roberto Bautista (Spain) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) — walkover; 28-Sam Querrey (US) bt Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

First round: Fabio Fognini (Italy) bt Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-4, 1-6, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-3; 18-John Isner (US) bt Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt Horacio

Zeballos (Argentina) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; Matthew Barton (Australia) bt Albano Olivetti (France) 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 14-12; 32-Lucas Pouille (France) bt Marius Copil (Romania) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Donald Young (US) bt Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Women’s singles:

Second round: Jana Cepelova (Slovakia) bt 2-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) 6-3, 6-2; 6-Roberta Vinci (Italy) bt Duan Yingying (China) 6-3, 7-5; Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) bt 17-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; 4-Angelique Kerber (Germany) bt Varvara Lepchenko (US) 6-1, 6-4; 28-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) bt Samantha Crawford (US) 6-3, 6-4; Julia Boserup (US) bt 7-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) 6-4, 1-0 — Bencic retired; Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) bt 30-Caroline Garcia (France) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; Carina Witthoeft (Germany) bt Kurumi Nara (Japan) 6-3, 6-0; 12-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) bt Denisa Allertova (Czech Republic) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1; 8-Venus Williams (US) bt Maria Sakkari (Greece) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3; Alize Cornet (France) bt 20-Sara Errani (Italy) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5; 29-Darya Kasatkina (Russia) bt Lara Arruabarrena Vecino (Spain) 7-6 (11-9), 6-3; Misaki Doi (Japan) bt 15-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; 5-Simona Halep (Romania) bt Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-1, 6-1; 9-Madison Keys (US) bt Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Sabine Lisicki (Germany) bt 14-Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-4, 6-2; 26-Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) bt Mona Barthel (Germany) 6-4, 6-4; Anna-Lena Friedsam (Germany) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1).

First round: 24-Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) bt Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) bt Johanna Larsson (Sweden) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1; 11-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) bt Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) 6-4, 6-2; Annika Beck (Germany) bt Heather Watson (Britain) 3-6, 6-0, 12-10; Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus) bt 31-Kristina Mladenovic (France) 6-3, 6-3; Monica Niculescu (Romania) bt Aleksandra Krunic (Serbia) 6-1, 6-4; Mandy Minella (Luxembourg) bt Anna Tatishvili (US) 7-5, 3-0 — Tatishvili retired; 18-Sloane Stephens (US) bt Peng Shuai (China) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Wednesday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

Second round: 3-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Marcus Willis (Britain) 6-0, 6-3, 6-4.

First round: 8-Dominic Thiem (Austria) bt Florian Mayer (Germany) 7-5, 6-4, 6-4; 24-Alexander Zverev (Germany) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) bt Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7); Radu Albot (Moldova) bt Gastao Elias (Portugal) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.

Women’s singles:

First round: Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) 6-3, 6-4; 7-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-2, 6-3; Ana Konjuh (Croatia) bt Karin Knapp (Italy) 6-3, 6-3; 10-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) bt Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-0, 6-4; Julia Boserup (US) bt Tatjana Maria (Germany) 6-4, 0-6, 6-2; 16-Johanna Konta (Britain) bt Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) 6-1, 7-5.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2016