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 27-year-old Romanian captured her second career major with a 6-2, 6-2 victory, adding a maiden Wimbledon to her 2018 Roland Garros triumph.

Defeat for 37-year-old Williams, 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.

Williams was undone by 26 unforced errors to Halep's two.—AFP