London: Simona Halep torpedoed Serena Williams's latest bid to capture a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam on Saturday when she stormed to a sensational victory in a 56-minute Wimbledon final.

The Romanian, 27, captured her second career major with a 6-2, 6-2 victory adding a maiden Wimbledon — the first for her country in both men's and women's singles — to her 2018 Roland Garros triumph. Defeat for Williams, 37, a seven-time Wimbledon champion who won the last of her 23 Slam titles at the 2017 Australian Open, meant her attempt to equal Margaret Court's all-time record for major wins was put back on ice until at least the US Open.