Defending champion Serena Williams [Images] was knocked out of the third round of the Australian Open on Friday by Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova [Images] 6-1, 7-6.
Hantuchova raced through the first set in 31 minutes then regained her composure after Williams saved three match points to force the second set into a tiebreak.
Williams, who had staged a series of miraculous comebacks to win last year's Australian Open, threatened another when she led 4-3 in the tiebreak but Hantuchova held her nerve to clinch it 7-5.
Hantuchova will play Russia's [Images] Maria Sharapova [Images] in the fourth round after the fourth seed beat Croatia's Jelena Kostanic 6-0, 6-1.
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