This article was first published 12 years ago

PHOTOS: The biggest upsets at Wimbledon

Last updated on: June 27, 2013 17:10 IST

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Image: Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine shakes hands at the net with Roger Federer of Switzerland after their match
Photographs: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Roger Federer and 'his ego' took an unbelievable battering at the hands of little-known Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky. The Swiss champion and holder of a record 17 Grand Slam titles was sent spinning out of Wimbledon on a day dubbed as 'Whacky Wednesday'.

A record that took 36 Grand Slams and nine years to create was turned on its head by 116th-ranked Stakhovsky, who rocked the All England Club to its core as he inflicted a brutal 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5, 7-6(5) second-round defeat on a man he called a "Wimbledon legend".

That 'legend' had enjoyed a remarkable run of reaching 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals or better dating back to 2004, won seven titles at the spiritual home of lawn tennis and had not lost to a rival ranked outside the top 100 for over eight years.

It took a serve-and-volley-loving man who had never beaten a top 15 player in his 27-year-old life to shatter the glass ceiling.

As Stakhovsky celebrates his victory over Federer, here's a look at a few other matches that shook Wimbledon.

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Image: Steve Darcis of Belgium shakes hands at the net with Rafael Nadal of Spain after their first round match
Photographs: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Wimbledon had witnessed some seismic shocks down the years, but few could top twice champion Rafa Nadal's elimination at the hands of Steve Darcis, a Belgian ranked 135th in the world, in the first round on Monday.

A year after losing to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round, Nadal was outplayed by the 135th-ranked Darcis on Court One, losing 7-6(4), 7-6(8), 6-4 in front of a disbelieving crowd.

Darcis, however, was forced to withdraw from his second round match.

Image: George Bastl of Switzerland celebrates after his victory over Pete Sampras of the USA in 2002
Photographs: Al Bello/Getty Images

Sampras, with seven Wimbledon trophies in his possession, endured one of the worst defeats of his career, losing 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4 in the second round to a player ranked 145th in the world and who was a lucky loser from qualifying.

American Sampras recovered to win the U.S. Open a few weeks later before retiring.

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Pete SamprasGeorge Bastl
Image: Ivo Karlovic of Croatia shakes hands at the net after beating defending champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia in 2003
Photographs: Al Bello/Getty Images

Hewitt, the defending champion, won the first set 6-1 before unheralded Karlovic, ranked 202, wheeled out the big guns and battered the Australian into submission with a devastating display of serving. 

Karlovic won 1-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 and for only the second time in the history of the event, the top seeded male was toppled on the first day.

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KarlovicHewitt
Image: Defending champion Boris Becker of West Germany (left) and unseeded Australian tennis player Peter Doohan in 1987
Photographs: Al Bello/Getty Images

Becker, the top seed and twice defending champion, seemed invincible on the Wimbledon grass but ran into 70th-ranked Doohan in the second round.

Boom Boom, as German Becker was nicknamed, was bounced out 7-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 and Doohan earned the title of "Becker Wrecker".


Image: Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand is congratulated by Andre Agassi of the USA
Photographs: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

A 32-year-old Agassi, seeded three after a stunning career revival, joined old rival Sampras on the scrap heap after being dismantled by Thailand's Srichaphan 6-4, 7-6, 6-2.

The second round match was all over in one hour 47 minutes.

Image: American tennis star John McEnroe about to shake the hand of South African player Kevin Curren after losing in 1985
Photographs: Keystone/Getty Images

Defending champion McEnroe had compiled an 82-3 record the previous year and was still the "Guvnor" at Wimbledon, reaching the previous five finals.

However, South African Curran proved no shrinking violet and won the last eight clash 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. 

McEnroe was never quite the same again, failing to win another grand slam.

Image: Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic shakes hands with Rafael Nadal of Spain
Photographs: Clive Rose/Getty Images

Rafa Nadal suffered a similar fate last year when he arrived as French Open champion but fell to hard-hitting Lukas Rosol, a Czech ranked 100th in the world, in the second round.

Rosol won 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in a three-hour battle that ended after dark under the Centre Court roof in front of 15,000 fans who were glued to their seats. 


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