The Romanian collapsed to a 2-6 6-0 3-6 defeat against the world number 124, as her dreams of claiming a third Grand Slam singles title went up in smoke.
Harmony Tan’s dream Wimbledon debut came to an end when she was beaten 2-6 3-6 by 20-year-old American Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round on Monday.
With the win, Halep booked a semi-final match-up against Polish number three seed Iga Swiatek.
Cornet was understandably emotional after her 6-4 3-6 6-4 victory in two hours and 33 minutes, beating the finalist of the 2018 Australian Open during their showdown.
Stuck on number 23 for four years, Williams has brushed off failures and near misses at matching Margaret Court’s mark with the self-assurance of someone convinced her time will come.
