SPAIN’S Rafael Nadal returns against Australia’s Alex De Minaur during their men’s singles third round match on the sixth day of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London. AFP

“It’s amazing. I was 2-5 down in the final set but the crowd pushed me to fight.”

German fourth seed Alexander Zverev and women’s world number one Simona Halep wilted in 33-degree heat and crashed out of Wimbledon in the third round on Saturday.

Playing for the third day in succession, Zverev was shocked by Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis in a grueling five sets, 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, while French Open champion Halep lost to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, that leaves only one of the top 10 seeds in the Last 16.

Meanwhile, two-time champion Rafael Nadal made the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Alex De Minaur of Australia, which ensured he would retain the world number one spot at the end of the tournament.

Three-time winner Novak Djokovic made the Last 16 of a Slam for the 44th time with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Kyle Edmund, the last remaining Briton.

Despite being widely tipped to be a Grand Slam threat, it was another letdown for Zverev, whose run to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last month remains his best performance at the majors.

Gulbis, a former world number 10 who famously defeated Roger Federer on his way to the French Open semifinals in 2014, will be playing in the Last 16 at Wimbledon for the first time at the 11th attempt.

The 29-year-old will take on Japan’s Kei Nishikori who registered his 350th career win with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over Australian Nick Kyrgios.

His win on Saturday was his third successive five-setter having also played three matches in qualifying.

“It’s a great day, it’s been a great match for me,” said Gulbis, who before had won just one match on tour in 2018 prior to the Wimbledon.

He fired 18 aces and 61 winners past Zverev who said he felt he had been “unplugged” in the fourth set.

“I didn’t think I could win after losing the third set, but he got tired and I played smarter,” added Gulbis.

Defeat for Halep means that Karolina Pliskova, at number seven, is the only women’s top 10 seed to reach the fourth round.

It’s the first time in the Open era that none of the top five women’s seeds have made the last 16 of a Slam.

Hsieh, the world number 48, battled back from 2-5 down in the final set and saved a match point when the Romanian served for the match at 5-3 in the decider.

It will be Hsieh’s first appearance in the Last 16 at Wimbledon where she will face Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

“It’s my first win against a world number one,” said 26-year-old Hsieh.

“It’s amazing. I was 2-5 down in the final set but the crowd pushed me to fight.”

Halep was left to rue her lost opportunities.