Meet 5’6” Jana Cepelova, Giant Killer

Despite the unlikely heroics of Marcus Willis, everyone’s been on England’s case of late. They voted to leave the European Union and doted to leave the European Championships. Steady rain through the opening days of Wimbledon, even if tradition, didn’t help matters.

But it hasn’t been a great run for Spain lately, either.

The football power also exited the Euros in the round of 16 (albeit to a strong side in Italy), and its marquee men’s tennis player, Rafael Nadal, had to withdraw from Roland Garros with injury and didn’t enter Wimbledon.

And now, its top female player, Garbine Muguruza, has lost in the second round of the tournament she finished runner-up at last year. Her conqueror? The 5’6”, 124th-ranked Jana Cepelova. In straight sets, no less, 6-3, 6-2.

Cepelova is no Willis, however, in that she’s pulled this act before. Just last year at the All England Club, she upset the third seed, Simona Halep, in the opening round:

Cepelova has also recorded a win over Serena Williams, on green clay at the 2014 Family Circle Cup in Charleston. That victory also came in straight sets (the Halep upset was a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 struggle).

"She was a great counterpuncher," Williams said about Cepelova that day. "She hit a lot of balls back, and I really knew nothing about her game. So she played a really good game against me."

The 23-year-old Slovak's relentless style was torture to the inconsistent Muguruza, who forgot to pack her game when leaving Paris. The No. 2 seed lost her only grass-court tune-up match, in Mallorca, and struggled to get by Camila Giorgi in the first round.

The match lasted just 58 minutes, as Cepelova took advantage of every opportunity that came her way. She converted all four break chances offered to her and, incredibly, surpassed the hard-hitting Muguruza in winners, 14 to nine. As you might imagine, Muguruza led the unforced error count, 22 to 12.

Considering Muguruza’s history of being unable to sustain a high level of play from tournament to tournament, and Cepelova’s dangerous potential, the result isn’t as shocking as the ranking disparity might indicate. Again, No. 772 Willis over Richard’s Berankis this is not.

But it’s further evidence that Muguruza doesn’t appear to be the undisputed champion that so many WTA fans and critics crave, and that Cepelova is someone no top player wants to see in their vicinity at a Slam.