Serena Williams Beaten in Fourth Round at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England — Defending champion Serena Williams was eliminated by Marion Bartoli 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the fourth round of Wimbledon on Monday, cutting short her return to Grand Slam tennis after nearly a year's absence with serious health problems.

Williams, a four-time winner at the All England Club, saved four match points before the ninth-seeded Frenchwoman closed out the contest by hitting a service winner into the corner. It was Williams' earliest exit at Wimbledon since a third-round loss in 2005.

Bartoli made the Wimbledon final in 2007, losing to Serena's older sister Venus.

Serena missed nearly a year after foot surgery and subsequent blood clots in her lungs. She returned two weeks ago at Eastbourne for the first time since winning the Wimbledon title in 2010.