Rafael Nadal overcame two time warnings and Novak Djokovic shrugged off a knee problem to battle into the Wimbledon third round on Thursday even as the women’s defending champion Garbiñe Muguruza was stunned in three sets by Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck.

Top seed and French Open champion Simona Halep, however, reached the third round with a 7-5, 6-0 win over China’s Zheng Saisai.

Last year’s runner-up Marin Cilic blew a two-set lead in his 3-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 loss to Argentina’s Guido Pella, ranked 82.

The big stories

Muguruza out in shock defeat

Muguruza was sensationally knocked out of Wimbledon by journeywoman Alison van Uytvanck on Thursday, leaving just one of the top six seeds left after only two rounds.

Belgian 47th-ranked Van Uytvanck triumphed 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 for her first-ever win over a top 10 opponent.

Muguruza’s defeat leaves just top seed Simona Halep, number seven Karolina Pliskova and 10th seed Madison Keys as the remaining top-ranked contenders after two rounds.

Muguruza admitted it had not been her day.

“She played big, took risks and it worked for her but my level was not where I wanted it to be,” said the deposed champion. “It’s a little bit sad.”

Nadal canters into third round

World number one Nadal defeated Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and will next face Australian teenager Alex de Minaur.

Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion, was tested by world number 77 Kukushkin who was made to pay for converting just two of 13 break points.

He was also hit with two time violations – one before the match had even started as he sat courtside.

“I didn’t know but I don’t see a clock here. I don’t see a countdown. It’s more difficult for me to understand what’s going on,” said 11-time French Open champion Nadal, who is chasing an 18th major.

Djokovic through despite knee woe

For Djokovic, meanwhile, victory was his 60th at Wimbledon.

He hit 15 aces and 31 winners in a commanding win over 33-year-old Zeballos, who was a top 40 player in 2013 but was playing at Wimbledon ranked a lowly 126.

Former world number one Djokovic shrugged off a knee injury he suffered in the match.

“It’s most likely a twitch in the muscle or something like this that has affected the knee a little bit. Hopefully it’s nothing that will concern me,” said Djokovic.

Cilic stunned by Pella

Cilic blew a two-set lead in his 3-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 loss to Argentina’s Guido Pella, ranked at 82.

When rain forced the tie to be postponed on Wednesday, Cilic was leading by two sets against an opponent who had never won a match at Wimbledon before this year.

But the Croatian collapsed once the match resumed on Court One on Thursday and Pella took full advantage to set up a third round clash with Mackenzie McDonald of the United States.

Cilic, the 2014 US Open champion, had been expected to mount a strong challenge for the Wimbledon title after winning the grass-court warm-up at Queen’s Club two weeks ago.

Shot of the day

From the sidelines

Italians feel the joy of six

Fabio Fognini beat Simone Bolelli in what was only the fifth-ever all-Italian match at Wimbledon in the Open Era. They were two of six Italian men in the second round – a new record at a major in Open tennis.

Roger, Elmo, Bert and Ernie

Roger Federer turned up at the All England Club to practice wearing a “Sesame Street” t-shirt featuring puppet characters from the US children’s television show.

Eh-oh

Two men sat watching the action on Centre Court went even further, dressed as Laa-Laa and Po, two characters from the pre-school children’s TV show “Teletubbies”.

Quotable quotes

“I’d fight a bear for you. Not a grizzly bear. Or a brown bear. Or a panda bear. But maybe like a Care Bear? Yea, I’d fight one of those.”

– Bethanie Mattek-Sands to her doubles partner Lucie Safarova on Twitter

“I make a mistake, I put my shorts the other way. You cannot force me to change my shorts in front of everybody. For me, that’s not respectful.”

– Rafael Nadal on shorts removal etiquette.

“When I’m done practicing I go to my house, play video games. I love video games. So I stay there to watch TV, play video games, and then I read some books. Most of the time I just play video games. I love the shooter games, and then there is one game I playing now, it’s unbelievable, it’s ‘God of War’.”

– Guido Pella on how he likes to chill out.

“There was one recently that was pasta and honey. Which is a bit unusual. He did (enjoy it). Absolutely, of course he did. I’m guessing so. I guess he wouldn’t have asked for it if he didn’t like it.”

– Anthony Davies, Wimbledon’s food and drink boss, on weird player requests. He refused to name the mystery man.

“I’m still waiting for that cake. I’m still waiting.”

– Novak Djokovic on Johanna Konta’s thus-far empty promises on baking him a cake.

(With inputs from AFP)