Hingis, the ninth seed, looked a shadow of the player who won Wimbledon ten years ago as Granville triumphed 6-4, 6-2 on Court Two, where so many previous All England Club winners have come unstuck.

Granville, who has only reached the second week of a Grand Slam once before, now faces a fourth round tie against Dutch teenager Michaella Krajicek.

Hingis, 26, has found it hard to recapture her previous glories since coming out of retirement last year and this was further proof that she is struggling to compete at the highest level.

The former world number one had survived two match points before finally beating Naomi Cavaday, a British wild card entry, on Court Two in the first round, but there was no escape from the curse this time.

Hingis admitted her gamble to play the tournament despite not being fully recovered from a hip injury had not paid off.

"I think overall I shouldn't have played," she said.

"I said after Berlin, I won't come back until I'm super healthy. But then it gets kind of tiring when you just watch others.

"I had to miss out on the French Open and I just didn't want to miss Wimbledon.

"Probably it wasn't the smartest thing, but at least I gave myself a chance. I'm getting into better condition instead of not doing anything."

The contrast between the bubbly 16-year-old, who became Centre Court's darling when she beat Jana Novotna in the 1997 final, and Hingis's timid display here couldn't have been more marked.

Granville, the world number 77, had arrived at the All England Club on the back of six defeats in her last seven Tour matches.

But she has found her form in south-west London and showed no signs of being overawed by Hingis.

Once Granville had broken in the third game, Hingis never threatened to dent the American's powerful serve and she was strangely subdued as her opponent closed out the set.

Hingis needed to come out firing at the start of the second set but it was Granville who took the initiative again. She broke in the first game when Hingis tamely netted a forehand.

The Swiss had three break points in the sixth game, but she sent forehands long every time to let the opportunities slip away.

That proved to be Hingis's last chance.

Granville kept slugging away from the back of the court and drove home her advantage with another break before serving out the match.