BBC SPORT | Golf | Sorenstam makes early exit

Latest World Match Play results

Defending champion Annika Sorenstam fell at the first hurdle in the Cisco World Ladies Match Play Championship in Japan.

The LPGA's top-ranked player was beaten 2 & 1 by Japan's Chieko Amanuma at the Narita Golf Club.

In another upset, South Korea's Se Ri Pak, second on the LPGA money list, lost to Japan's Takayo Bando (1-up).

Sorenstam, the LPGA's top-ranked player, struggled with her putting on the opening day and got into trouble at the par-3 seventh hole.

"I just didn't make anything today," said the Swede, who had three bogeys and a lone birdie.

"In match play, you've got to make birdies and I just didn't make them."

Dropped

Amanuma took a two-hole lead on the par-four ninth but Sorenstam closed the gap to one after her opponent conceded the 10th.

But the European dropped the 11th and 13th holes to go down by three.

Sorenstam finally got a break when she birdied the par-three 16th hole.

Se Ri Pak won the CJ Nine Bridges Classic in her native South Korea.
Se Ri Pak was another big-name loser
But she was eliminated at the next hole despite saving par following a second shot into a greenside bunker.

Sorenstam, who finished fifth at last week's CJ Nine Bridges Classic in South Korea, refused to make any excuses.

"I hit the ball well but just didn't make a single putt," said Sorenstam. "I wish I had an excuse but I don't."

Pak won the 17th hole to pull within one of Bando but was forced to concede the par-four 18th when the Japanese player sank a 15ft birdie putt.

In other matches, Australia's Karrie Webb was a 3 & 2 winner over Taiwan's Hsui Feng-tseng.

Midori Yoneyama defeated fourth-ranked Kim Mi-hyun of South Korea 1-up and Laura Diaz defeated Kyoko Ono 1-up.

Yuri Fudo, Japan's top-ranked player, was a 3 & 2 winner over Beth Bauer while South Korea's Grace Park defeated Japan's Mikino Kubo 4 & 3.

Cisco World Ladies Match Play Championship results:
Chieko Amanuma (Jap) bt Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 2&1
Rosie Jones (USA) bt Mihoko Takahashi (Jap) 5&4
Hee Won Han (Kor) bt Ko Woo-soon (Kor) 1 up (20 holes)
Laura Diaz (USA) bt Kyoko Ono (Jap) 1 up
Midori Yoneyam (Jap) Mi Hyun Kim (Kor) 1 up
Lorie Kane (Can) bt Orie Fujino (Jap) 7&6
Kelly Robbins (USA) bt Kasumi Fujii (Jap) 3&2
Cristie Kerr (USA) bt Kaori Higo (Jap) 1 up
Takayo Bando (Jap) bt Se Ri Pak (Kor) 1 up
Michele Redmen (USA) bt Ku Ok-hee (Kor) 1 up
Catriona Matthew (Sco) bt Toshimi Kimura (Jap) 1 up (19 holes)
Carin Koch (Swe) bt Ikuyo Shiotani (Jap) 3&2
Karrie Webb (Aus) bt Hsui Feng-tseng (Tai) 3&2
Grace Park (Kor) bt Mikino Kubo (Jap) 4&3
Yuri Fudo (Jap) bt Beth Bauer (USA) 3&2
Rachel Teske (Aus) and Yu Cheng-huang (Tai) all-square - match suspended after 27 holes because of bad light


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