Johanna Konta failed in her bid to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals after an error-strewn display in a straight-set defeat by Czech Barbora Strycova.

The British number one started strongly, racing to a 4-1 lead, before collapsing to lose 7-6 (7-5) 6-1.

Let down by her previously dominant serve and firing long when she had the whole court at her disposal, Konta could not find a way back.

Strycova will face 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the semis.

“I think this was one of the best matches I have played,” Strycova, 33, said after reaching her maiden Grand Slam singles semi-final.

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Konta’s game deserts her

Konta came into the match boasting an incredible record of having lost just three of her 47 service games at these championships.

Despite the fact she got an early break, the warning signs that the 28-year-old’s biggest weapon might not be firing properly were there in the opening game when she had to save a break point.

The errors began to creep in at 4-2 when she sent two forehands wide and wild backhand long to allow Strycova to get the break back.

It became a theme as Konta went on to produce 22 unforced errors in that opening set, with the Czech increasing in confidence as she gave Konta a lesson in effective drop shots to take it to a tie-break.

There Konta could not find a rhythm, sending a forehand into the net to hand the set to the world number world number 54.

Konta is well versed in losing opening sets and winning in a third – with a record of 13 wins from 15 three-setters this year – but this time an early break in the second put a comeback out of reach.

The game was up for the Briton when she went long with a backhand – summing up everything that was wrong with this performance.

More to follow.

Serena Williams has been fined $10,000 (£7,988) for damaging one of the Wimbledon courts with her racquet.

The incident occurred during a practice session before this year’s tournament at the All England Club.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion, 37, is playing just her sixth tournament of 2019 but beat Carla Suarez Navarro on Monday to reach the quarter-finals.

Italy’s Fabio Fognini has been fined $3,000 (£2,396) after he said that Wimbledon should be bombed.

The 32-year-old made the outburst in his native tongue during his third-round loss to Tennys Sandgren on Saturday.

• Williams wanted ‘to watch rather than play’ in Murray match

American Williams, seeded 11th, has been suffering from a knee injury this year.

She faces compatriot Alison Riske in the last eight after she upset world number one Ashleigh Barty.

Williams and partner Andy Murray are in the second round of the mixed doubles and are due to meet Fabrice Martin and Raquel Atawo on Tuesday.

Seven-time Wimbledon singles champion Serena Williams reached the quarter-finals at SW19 with a dominant display against Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro.

The American 11th seed, 37, raced to a 6-2 6-2 victory against the 30-year-old world number 31.

Williams will play compatriot Alison Riske in the last eight after she upset world number one Ashleigh Barty.

In another unexpected result, Karolina Muchova beat third seed Karolina Pliskova 4-6 7-5 13-11.

The all-Czech encounter was a game away from becoming the first Wimbledon match decided by the new rule which sees a tie-break played if it reaches 12-12 in the final set.

But world number 68 Muchova, who has never reached a Grand Slam quarter-final before, hit a forehand winner to break at 12-11 up and claim victory after three hours and 17 minutes.

The 22-year-old will face Ukrainian eighth seed Elina Svitolina next, who moved into the last eight with a 6-4 6-2 win against Petra Martic.

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Williams is also in the second round of the mixed doubles with Britain’s Andy Murray and said she was happy to have more playing time at the All England Club.

“I have more matches this week than in the past five months, but it is good,” she explained.

“I know I can play and now that I feel better physically I almost feel a relief. I still want it or I wouldn’t be here.”

Williams took control from the outset, breaking Suarez Navarro’s serve in the first game then breaking again to go 5-2 up.

But shortly before that Williams, who played in her first Grand Slam in 1998, had to be reminded of the rules by the umpire as she reached over the net to hit a volley.

The 23-time major winner told the umpire “I thought it was allowed” after the point was overruled, but was ultimately undisturbed as she claimed the first set in 31 minutes.

Williams made an equally commanding start to the second set as she broke Suarez Navarro in her first two service games, but the four-time Olympic champion then dipped momentarily as she lost her serve to love.

Suarez Navarro has never won more than three games in a set against the American though, and Williams ensured that record continued as she broke for a third time then held serve to close out the match in one hour and four minutes.

Elsewhere, Belgian 24th seed Elise Mertens served for the match against the Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova but was eventually beaten 4-6 7-5 6-2.

The world number 54 will play Britain’s Johanna Konta after she beat Petra Kvitova in three sets.

China’s Zhang Shuai held off Ukrainian 19-year-old Dayana Yastremska 6-4 1-6 6-2 and will now play Simona Halep, who ended 15-year-old Coco Gauff’s run with a 6-3 6-3 victory.

Analysis

American former world number six Chanda Rubin on BBC TV

This was just a classic Serena Williams performance. Everything was firing and on point.

Carla Suarez Navarro is an opponent she has never really had trouble with. Williams broke her in the first game and she never looked back.

She did not have enough against Williams’ power, serving and movement.

If Britain’s Johanna Konta finds herself in a third set in Tuesday’s Wimbledon quarter-final, she can draw confidence from the fact that on recent form she is likely to pull through.

The British number one came from behind to beat two-time champion Petra Kvitova to win her 13th of 15 three-setters in 2019 and faces Barbora Strycova next.

“That’s something I can be really proud of,” the 28-year-old said.

“It comes with match fitness, as well, with playing a lot of them.”

Konta will face Strycova on Centre Court after 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams takes on fellow American Alison Riske at 13:00 BST.

The Briton is one win away from emulating her 2017 feat of reaching the last four and two away from becoming the first British women’s singles finalist since Virginia Wade won the title in 1977.

“The experience that I had in 2017 was a magnificent one. It was something that is incredibly special to me,” Konta said.

“Equally how I’m doing so far, I’m just really pleased with the level I’m playing, how I’m competing, how I’m really just trying to find a way in each match that I play.”

She has faced Czech world number 54 Strycova just once before, losing in straight sets on a hard court in Tokyo in 2017.

“She’s a very crafty player,” Konta said. “She knows how to mix up the game. She knows how to play on this surface.

“To know… that I have the capability to stay there as long as I need to for however long, even if losing the first set, I know I have every opportunity to get back into the match.”

• Konta beats Pliskova to reach quarters
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Analysis – ‘Konta has a shot at winning’

Three-time Wimbledon singles champion John McEnroe on BBC TV

I admire Konta’s fighting qualities. Everything about her game is very meticulously planned out. To me she is a better player now than when she got to the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2017.

She is mixing up her serve nicely. The team has looked back on her career and realised that variety is the spice of life and that could help her in the end.

I’m not going to say she’s the favourite to win this but she’s got a shot at it, for sure.

Williams faces debutant – and has a Murray debate to settle

If Konta can beat Strycova, she would face the winner of the match between Williams and Riske, who beat world number one Ashleigh Barty to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Williams will play two matches in one day on Centre Court, playing her singles quarter-final before returning to action after Konta’s match to continue her high-profile mixed doubles partnership with Britain’s Andy Murray.

They face American Raquel Atawo and Frenchman Fabrice Martin in the second round as former world number one Murray continues his comeback following hip surgery.

They gelled well in their first crowd-pleasing display on Saturday, but they still need to sort out one issue – their nickname.

“He did tweet Ser-Andy. I was like, ‘I like Murena. My vote is still for Murena’,” Williams smiled.

Seventh seed Simona Halep is the highest ranked player left in the women’s singles after defeats on Monday for Barty and third seed Karolina Pliskova.

She faces China’s Zhang Shuai, who is ranked 50th in the world but who has posed the Romanian problems in the past, including a stunning upset in the 2016 Australian Open first round.

“Things are different now,” Halep said. “I don’t want to think about the past that much. I’m different and I’m feeling different on court. This is what matters.”

In the other quarter-final, Ukrainian eighth seed Elina Svitolina takes on Czech world number 68 Karolina Muchova.

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