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Keys out as Wimbledon seeds keep falling

London - Madison Keys became the seventh woman seeded in the top 10 to crash out of Wimbledon as the American was stunned by Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina on Friday.

After defending champion Garbine Muguruza suffered a shock exit in the second round on Thursday, it was 10th seed Keys' turn to endure an unexpected 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 third round defeat.

Keys' departure comes hot on the heels of early exits for two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, 2004 All England Club champion Maria Sharapova, world No 2 Caroline Wozniacki and US Open title holder Sloane Stephens.

Of the players seeded in the top 10 ahead of the tournament, only world No 1 Simona Halep, seventh seed Karolina Pliskova and five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, seeded ninth, are left in the draw after just five days.

Serena Williams, the seven-time Wimbledon winner, is seeded 25th after her tentative return from the birth of her first child.

But the 36-year-old, who is in third round action against Kristina Mladenovic later on Thursday, is ranked as the bookmakers' favourite to lift her 24th major title.

Serena will play world No 120 Rodina if she advances to the fourth round.

Rodina won nine games in a row to move a set and two breaks ahead before Keys recovered from 4-0 down in the second set to set up a decider.

The 29-year-old Russian needed treatment after securing the decisive break in the final set, but she was able to block out the pain to seal her upset.

Wimbledon results on Friday, the fifth day of the 2018 championships (x denotes seeded player):

Men

3rd rd

Kevin Anderson (RSA x8) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x25) 6-3, 7-5, 7-5

Women

3rd rd

Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) bt Madison Keys (USA x10) 7-5, 5-7, 6-4

Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

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