Martina Hingis' Wimbledon comeback stalled in the third round on Friday when she was outclassed by Japan's Ai Sugiyama 7-5 3-6 6-4.
The Swiss 12th seed, playing at the grasscourt major for the first time since 2001, had lost just seven games coming into the third round match.
Sugiyama proved to be a more stubborn opponent and she stormed back from 3-0 down in the decider to clinch victory in one hour and 44 minutes after the 1997 champion's backhand floated just wide.
'It was a really long game to go up 2-0, and then 3-0. It was very draining, those games,' said Hingis, who failed to reach the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the first time since returning to the tour in January.
'At 3-0, I made this weird step, so I started feeling my thigh. But there's no excuse. She didn't miss. She played a great match. On this surface, she's harder to play than anything else because she's very fast. She likes those flat balls.
'I was up and all of a sudden I lost the next four games. It's like, 'okay, how did that happen?' Lack of concentration sometimes.'
The turning point appeared to come in the fifth game of the third set. Hingis thought her crosscourt effort had hit the line but it was called out and the Tokyo-born Sugiyama happily pocketed the game.
The former world number one was annoyed with the line judge's verdict and tried to get the umpire to overrule the call but failed. Television replays confirmed the ball was out.
From then on, a pumped up Sugiyama acquired a new spring to her step and ran out winners with ease while Hingis struggled to get her focus back.
Sugiyama capitalised on her 25-year-old opponent's frustration and broke in the final game to secure only her second victory in eight meetings against the Swiss tactician.
