Kiwi Erin Routliffe has been knocked out of Wimbledon's women's doubles, beaten in three sets by the American pair of Danielle Collins and Desirae Krawczyk to exit at the quarter-final stage.
In a clash lasting more than two hours, Routliffe, 27, and Polish playing partner Alicja Rosolska dropped the first set in quick time, going down 6-1, before rallying in the second.
Taking the second set to a tiebreak, Routliffe and Rosolska took two vital points off Collins' serve for a 7-4 victory to level the match, and force a deciding third set.
But with two service breaks, the Americans quickly raced to a 4-1 lead in the decider and closed it out 6-3 to advance to the semi-finals.
Despite the loss, Routliffe still leaves Wimbledon with her best Grand Slam result, finishing as a quarter-finalist for the first time in her career.
"It was a tough match, they were very good at tennis," Routliffe said. "I think we had opportunities and it was a good effort to fight back in the second.
"It was a really good two weeks for us as a team - we won some big matches and had some big moments.
"I'd never made quarter finals of a Slam before, so it was a positive move in the right direction. I'm hungry for more and I think she is too."
