Wimbledon 2018: Five of the top 10 women's seeds crash out

The women's draw at Wimbledon is wide open after five of the top 10 seeds crashed out in the opening two rounds, with the possibility of two more following on Thursday.

Petra Kvitova was defeated in three sets by Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Picture: AFP

Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, Elina Svitolina, Caroline Garcia and Petra Kvitova were all knocked out in the first three days of the championships.

Top seed Simona Halep and defending champion Garbine Muguruza had work to do on Thursday to avoid also going out before the last-32 stage.

To lose such a large number of the seeds early on is not unknown at the All England Club, however.

Over the last five years, 2017 was the anomaly as a top-10 women’s seed did not fall until the third round.

But in 2016 three fell in the first two rounds, four went in 2015, there were two beaten early in 2014, and in 2013 six of the top 10 were no longer in the tournament after their opening two matches.

It was a bad year for the seeds all round in 2013 as four of the top 10 men also fell before the third round.

Generally, though, the men’s elite have found less trouble in navigating through to later on in the tournament. Only one of the top 10 men fell in the first two rounds last year and in 2014, with two in 2016 and three in 2015.

Here is a look at the top 10 seeded women who have fallen so far in the first two rounds in 2018, and in the past five years:

2018 (seedings in brackets): 5 - Caroline Wozniacki (2), Sloane Stephens (4), Elina Svitolina (5), Caroline Garcia (6) and Petra Kvitova (8)

2017: 0

2016: 3 - Garbine Muguruza (2), Belinda Bencic (7), Petra Kvitova (10)

2015: 4 - Simona Halep (3), Ana Ivanovic (7), Ekaterina Makarova (8), Carla Suarez Navarro (9)

2014: 2 - Jelena Jankovic (7), Victoria Azarenka (8)

2013: 6 - Victoria Azarenka (2), Maria Sharapova (3), Sara Errani (5), Angelique Kerber (7), Caroline Wozniacki (9), Maria Kirilenko (10)