German Sabine Lisicki fired the fastest serve ever recorded at a WTA event, unleashing a 210.8 kph bomb in her first round loss to Ana Ivanovic at the Stanford Classic.

Lisicki, who lost 7-6 6-1, unleashed the serve in the opening set of their match on the plexipave hardcourt surface at Stanford University. She won the point despite Ivanovic getting her racket to the ball.

The WTA said the serve bettered the previous record of 207.6 kph set by American Venus Williams at the US Open in 2007.

Defending champion Dominika Cibulkova was another first round loser in Stanford on Tuesday, going down 6-2 4-6 6-2 to Spaniard Garbine Muguruza.

The fastest serve ever recorded on approved equipment in professional tennis was the 263.4 kph rocket hit by Australian Sam Groth at an ATP Challenger event in Busan, South Korea, in May 2012.

He too lost the match.

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