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Serena Williams Knocked Out Of Olympics In Stunning Third-Round Loss

Serena Williams Knocked Out Of Olympics In Stunning Third-Round Loss
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 09: Serena Williams of the United States reacts during a Women's Singles Third Round match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Cameron Spencer via Getty Images
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 09: Serena Williams of the United States reacts during a Women's Singles Third Round match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Serena Williams’ Olympic dreams ended Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro after the defending gold medal winner fell in the third round of singles qualifying matches to Ukraine’s 20th-ranked Elina Svitolina.

The normally speedy Williams made a series of unforced errors and double faulted five times before Svitolina took the top-ranked Williams 6-4, 6-3.

The stunning loss was the second for Williams in Rio. Williams and her sister, Venus, on Sunday lost the Olympic doubles tournament for the first time.

The disappointing loss caps what had been a record-breaking summer for Williams, who won her 22nd singles Grand Slam title last month at Wimbeldon, tying Steffi Graf’s Grand Slam record.

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