Australian Open 2020 news - Serena Williams knocked out by China's Qiang Wang

Wang capitalised on a triple break point at the first time of asking when 5-4 up before serving out the opening set. And she was able to neutralise Serena's power by moving her around the court, forcing Williams into a gruelling contest.

Wang played the match of her career and the 28-year-old broke the Williams serve again in the fifth game of set two to go 3-2 up. But with Wang given the opportunity to serve out the match, Williams fashioned out two break points and needed only one in a superb 24-shot rally to break the Wang serve for the first time.

Williams scrambled to a 5-2 lead in the tie-break before securing the set. In the decisive third set, Wang showed her true grit to stay in the tie with the momentum swinging Williams' way.

Wang was up an advantage in the eighth game but Williams responded to make it 4-4. And with Wang 6-5 up in the final set, she won match point at the third opportunity on Williams' serve to seal a historic victory.

Williams ended the match with 56 unforced errors to 43 winners, with her early exit meaning the wait for Grand Slam No 24 goes on.

“She served well. I didn’t return like Serena. Honestly, if we’re just honest with ourselves, it’s all on my shoulders, I lost that match," Williams said afterwards.

“I’m definitely going to be training tomorrow to make sure I don’t do this again.”

"I think my team always believed I could do it," Wang said after the match.

She continued: "During the second set I was a bit confused as I lost the set.

"I had to be calm but my mind always tells me I have to focus on the power and every point and trust myself."

Asked if she be would find time to celebrate Chinese New Year, Wang smiled with a one-word response: "Nope."

“She’s getting older. The game is getting faster every year. Players are getting stronger. They’ve always been very fit," said Mats Wilander on Eurosport's Game, Schett, Mats.

“I think there’s a little anxiety from Serena that she has to finish the point before she gets on the back foot and defends too much.

“She did well hanging in with some rallies where she wasn’t playing well. Again, her opponent very quick around the court.

“Where does she go from here? Try and work on your movement for sure. Work on consistency. She needs more free points on the first serve.

“The older you get the better you serve usually. I can’t quite put my finger on if it’s only Serena’s serve that’s slightly off, or if it’s that everybody returns so much better that she’s trying to do too much.

“She’s prolonging her career by not playing too much. Practicing serves on a court where no one is watching, with no opponent, is much easier than suddenly being in a match situation.

“You need to play matches. It’s about reacting. I feel when your serve is less good, you worry more about where it will land. When you serve well, you’re just going through the motion and know it will curve in."

Wilander added: “The only way back is to practice more, obviously look after your body at her age, but play more matches and put yourself in that situation where you’re serving 15-30 down and there are nerves.

“It would be great practice for her to play more smaller tournaments. For some players it doesn’t really matter, but I believe she can focus as she hates to lose in any tournament again anyone.”