Defending champion Roger Federer's remarkable run of reaching 36 consecutive grand slam quarter-finals or better has been ended in a shock second-round Wimbledon defeat by unheralded Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky.
From a green and pleasant land, Wimbledon's grasscourts must now resemble a minefield for Rafa Nadal, who, for the second year in a row, suffered a shock defeat by a modest opponent playing the match of his life.
For all its tradition and prestige, there is an unmistakable sense swirling round Wimbledon that this year's tournament is a dress rehearsal for a bigger sporting occasion.
Roger Federer left the door tantalisingly ajar for local hero Andy Murray in the Wimbledon men's singles final, then slammed it shut to win his seventh Wimbledon title and return to the top of the world rankings.
American Serena Williams has powered her way to a fifth Wimbledon singles title with an explosive start and a cool finish after a mid-match meltdown to beat Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1 5-7 6-2.
Andy Murray consigned one of Wimbledon's longest-standing statistics to the scrapheap when he became the first Briton to reach the men's final in 74 years with a 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-5 win over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
In case any of Roger Federer's rivals thought that, at 30, he had lost all his supernatural powers and would never come close to winning a seventh Wimbledon crown, one booming voice reminded the world - "You're a genius Roger, genius!"
Serena Williams has produced another staggering display of power serving to reach her seventh Wimbledon singles final with a 6-3 7-6 victory over Victoria Azarenka.
Andy Murray has reached a fourth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final with a dramatic 6-7 7-6 6-4 7-6 victory over Spain's David Ferrer in a rain-disrupted quarter-final.
Normal service was resumed at Wimbledon as Roger Federer returned to the semi-finals after a two-year absence with a sparkling display to crush Mikhail Youzhny.
You can always rely on the British to adhere to tradition and protocol, especially in a year where they celebrate the old (the Queen's diamond jubilee) and the new (London Olympics 2012).
With the whiff of a fifth Wimbledon singles title in the air, grasscourt predator Serena Williams cut down defending champion Petra Kvitova to move ominously into the semi-finals.
Rufus, the harrier hawk employed to scare pigeons in the skies over Wimbledon, is back safely with his relieved owners after being stolen last week.
Marina Erakovic's quest to replicate what she achieved in the doubles at Wimbledon last year has been delayed, after her third-round doubles match was suspended due to rain.
Novak Djokovic's bid to retain his Wimbledon title is swiftly turning into a campaign to win the first ever indoor version of the grasscourt grand slam.
Maria Sharapova's expected challenge for the Wimbledon title turned into a damp squib as the off-form top seed was outplayed under cloudy skies by Germany's Sabine Lisicki.
Serena Williams fired down a Wimbledon record 23 aces, Yaroslava Shvedova blitzed through a record 24 consecutive points and Lukas Rosol was heading back to a life of anonymity as the All England Club ushered in the AN - after Nadal - era on Saturday.
Roger Federer set pulses racing as he diced with danger for more than three hours before dousing the fireworks of French buccaneer Julien Benneteau with a pulsating 4-6 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-1 Wimbledon third-round win.
Czech Lukas Rosol beat second seed Rafa Nadal 6-7 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4 in the Wimbledon second round to complete one of the sport's biggest ever upsets.
Croatia's Ivo Karlovic called Wimbledon's credibility into question and accused line judges of bias after he was foot-faulted "11 times" in his second-round defeat by Andy Murray.
