Maria Sharapova crashes out

Former champion Maria Sharapova was knocked out of the Australian Open, losing her first round match to fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 7-6(4) 3-6 6-4.Sharapova, seeded 14th, was broken by the 58th-ranked Kirilenko when serving to stay in the match to lose her first encounter at Melbourne Park since beating Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic for the title in 2008.
“I just didn’t win the match. I certainly had my chances but I didn’t execute,” Sharapova said.
The Russian former world number one, who posted 66 unforced errors and struggled with her serve, rallied from a set down but surrendered a break with her eighth double-fault of the match to trail 2-0 in the decider.
Kirilenko wobbled when serving for the match at 5-3 to allow Sharapova to break back, but coolly sealed the win after bringing up two match points.
Both players struggled with their serves throughout the contest and Sharapova gifted Kirilenko two set points in the first set before netting a backhand to go a set down.
Sharapova rallied in the second, breaking Kirilenko after a marathon game of nine deuces to lead 2-0 and then bringing up set point with a forehand winner down the line.
Kirilenko, who betrayed no signs of being intimidated by her more highly-fancied opponent, retained her cool in the last set to post the tournament’s first major upset.
“I think it’s one of the best wins for me,” said the 22-year-old Kirilenko, a five-time winner on the tour, whose last title came in Seoul in 2008. “I start to feel much better in the second set actually. I start to feel that I can be aggressive, as well.
“I did more winners than in first set. From that point, I started to feel that, yeah, I’m playing good from the baseline and I can beat her.”
She faces Yvonne Meusburger in the second round after the Austrian beat Swiss Timea Bacsinszky 6-4 4-6 6-2.
World number two Dinara Safina overcame a rusty performance to advance to the second round of the Australian Open, just a couple of months after fearing that she might not be able to play at Melbourne Park.
Safina, last year’s beaten finalist, committed nine double faults and 39 unforced errors before eventually beating a dogged Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4 6-4 in the first match on Hisense Arena.
The 23-year-old Safina, who missed the season-ending Tour Championships last October with a back injury, was nevertheless happy with her performance and felt her game would improve as the tournament went on.
“Let’s say it was not an easy first round match. She’s a very good opponent. She plays very good,” the second seed said. “I can start to build up much more confidence and using more my shots. I had some good moments and bad moments, but overall I’m happy I went through, and I’m pretty satisfied with everything.”
The back injury, which plagued her for the final three months of last season, at one stage had her thinking that she might have to skip the first Grand Slam of 2010.
“(But) I spoke with my doctor back in Germany (and) he told me for Australia Open for sure I’m going to be hundred per cent,” Safina said. “(I) was doubting the tournaments before but my recovery went pretty fast and I was even ready for Sydney (last week).”
Safina next plays the winner of the match between Russian qualifer Regina Kulikova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic.
US Open champion Kim Clijsters made a smooth return to Melbourne by posting a comfortable 6-0 6-4 win over Valerie Tetreault in the first round.
After steamrolling the Canadian in the first set, the Belgian met stiffer resistance from Tetreault in the second but broke the qualifier late to wrap the first match up in less than an hour.
The Belgian, who was beaten by compatriot Justine Henin in the final of the 2004 Australian Open, fired six aces and clubbed 26 winners in her first appearance at Melbourne Park since retiring to become a mother.
Although dominant throughout the match, Clijsters, who returned from two years out of the game last August, will hope to tighten her game in later rounds after spraying 23 unforced errors.
She has enjoyed a good lead-up to this year’s first Grand Slam, winning the Brisbane International final against Henin, herself making a comeback from retirement.
“I think I felt very comfortable when I went out there in the beginning, and I think sometimes that can be a little bit different at the start of the year,” Clijsters said.
“I think she was a little bit intimidated by the court and the atmosphere a little bit, which is normal. I think physically-wise I feel stronger, and obviously in my mind that’s already a big advantage.”
She next faces the winner of the match between Kazakhstan’s Sesil Karatantcheva and Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand.
Another Belgian, world number 30 Yanina Wickmayer, who had to qualify for the tournament after her doping ban, was forced to survive an epic against Alexandra Dulgheru but eventually beat the Romanian 1-6 7-5 10-8 to book her place in the second round.
The US Open semi-finalist will next face 12th seed Flavia Pennetta after the Italian battled past Russia’s Anna Chakvetadze 6-3 3-6 6-2.
Russian third seed Svetlana Kunzetsova, the reigning French Open champion, wasted little time to book her place in the second round with a 6-1 6-2 demolition of Anastasia Rodionova to set up a clash with compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who was equally speedy in dismissing Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 6-2 6-4.
British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin 521) and British Eurosport 2 (Sky 411 / Virgin 525) will be providing daily coverage from midnight of two matches which are also simulcasted on the Eurosport Player.
In addition, you can watch your choice of any of these seven courts LIVE and on demand on the Eurosport Player. Any matches that are not being shown on either British Eurosport or British Eurosport 2 will be commentary free.
All courts start at 00:00 GMT

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