Sharapova slumps out of Australian Open

Former champion Maria Sharapova was the biggest name to fall as she lost an epic three-set match with Maria Kirilenko on a wet and windy opening day at the Australian Open.

Former champion Maria Sharapova was the biggest name to fall as she lost an epic three-set match with Maria Kirilenko on a wet and windy opening day at the Australian Open.

Sharapova was her own worst enemy as she committed 66 unforced errors to lose 7-6 (7/4) 3-6 6-4 in a match that lasted three hours and 21 minutes.

It was a disappointing early exit for Sharapova, the 14th seed, and continued a poor recent run in majors after she lost in the second round at Wimbledon and third round at the US Open last year.

The 2008 champion was in a phlegmatic mood afterwards, vowing to one day return to the final at Melbourne Park.

‘I could be disappointed or I could take it as it is and just go back on the court and keep working,’ she said. ‘I choose option two.’

‘It's just a bad day. A bad day's not going to stop me from doing what I love.

‘I'm still going to go back on the court and work hard and perform. I'll be back here on a Saturday of the second week, so you watch.’

Kirilenko, the world number 58, admitted it was one of the biggest successes of her career, despite it coming against her close friend.

‘I think it's one of, the best wins for me,’ the 22-year-old said.

‘When you are on the court, you don't think about that she's my friend. Both of us want to win and be in the next round. So that's what you think about.’

The anticipated second-round clash between returning Belgian Justin Henin and fifth seed Elena Dementieva will occur after they both negotiated the first round.

Henin made her return to a grand slam after a 20-month retirement by beating countrywoman Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 6-3, before Dementieva conceded just three games to see off Vera Dushevina 6-2 6-1.

Both players are in form with wild card entrant Henin reaching the final at Brisbane a fortnight ago in her first tournament back, while Dementieva won the Sydney International last week after beating world number one Serena Williams in the final.

Henin, who won the Australian Open title in 2004, said she was looking forward to her second-round clash with Dementieva.

‘She's number five in the world so it's going to be a great challenge for me to play that kind of match very early in the tournament,’ she said.

‘I think, of course, it's a tough draw. But in a grand slam every match is difficult. I love to play the top players. I know I'll have to be at a very high level.’

Henin's fellow returning Belgian Kim Clijsters hardly needed to raise a sweat as she beat Canadian qualifier Valerie Tetreault 6-0 6-4.

The US Open champion raced through the opening set in just 23 minutes, and while she took her foot off the accelerator in the second, the match was always within the 15th seed's keeping.

‘There's definitely a lot of things that I'm still working on every day,’ she said.

‘I think physically wise I feel stronger, and obviously in my mind that's already a big advantage.’

Last year's runner-up and second seed Dinara Safina was made to battle for her first win beating Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4 6-4 in 89 minutes

‘I had some good moments and bad moments, but overall I'm happy I went through, and I'm pretty satisfied with everything,’ said Safina who mixed 28 winners with 39 unforced errors.

Third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was a straight-sets winner over Anastasia Rodionova 6-1 6-2 while world number 16 Yanina Wickmayer, who had to qualify for the main draw after her ban for breaching anti-doping regulations was lifted, survived a scare to beat Alexandra Dulgheru 1-6 7-5 10-8.

A number of first-round matches were postponed, however, because of the persistent showers around Melbourne.

Fourteen women's singles matches will now be played tomorrow with eighth seed Jelena Jankovic, who is due to play Monica Niculescu, the highest seed affected.

Women's 1st rd:
(5) Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Vera Dushevina (Rus) 6-2 6-1, Justine Henin (Bel) bt Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) 6-4 6-3, (27) Alisa Kleybanova (Rus) bt Jelena Dokic (Aus) 6-1 7-5, Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) bt Alexandra Dulgheru (Rom) 1-6 7-5 10-8, (12) Flavia Pennetta (Ita) bt Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) 6-3 3-6 6-2, (15) Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt Valerie Tetreault (Can) 6-0 6-4, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) bt Anastasija Sevastova (Lat) 6-2 6-4, (3) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt Anastasia Rodionova (Rus) 6-1 6-2, (24) Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (Spa) bt Evgeniya Rodina (Rus) 6-0 6-0, Jie Zheng (Chn) bt Shuai Peng (Chn) 0-6 6-1 6-2, Maria Kirilenko (Rus) bt (14) Maria Sharapova (Rus) 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-4, Yvonne Meusburger (Aut) bt Timea Bacsinszky (Swi) 6-4 4-6 6-2, (30) Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukr) bt Ioana Raluca Olaru (Rom) 6-2 7-6 (8-6), Elena Baltacha (Gbr) bt Pauline Parmentier (Fra) 6-4 3-6 7-5, (2) Dinara Safina (Rus) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk) 6-4 6-4