 Wozniacki lost to Li Na in both Sydney and Melbourne in 2010 |
World number one Caroline Wozniacki lost her first competitive match of 2011 as she suffered a 6-3 6-3 defeat by Dominika Cibulkova in Sydney. But the Dane, 20, insisted her Australian Open plans remain on track. "You need to learn from the losses. I'm confident for Melbourne I'll be OK, there are positives I can take," said Wozniacki, yet to win a Grand Slam. World number two Vera Zvonareva and local hope Sam Stosur were also dumped out in the second round. Zvonareva, who finished as runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010, was overcome 7-5 7-5 by Italian world number 24 Flavia Pennetta.  | 606: DEBATE |
After her latest reverse, Zvonareva has lost in her first match in all but one of her six appearances at the tournament. Hopes that Brisbane-born Stosur could take advantage of Wozniacki and Zvonareva's exits were abruptly extinguished as she was beaten 3-6 6-3 6-4 by former US and French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. With both players looking well short of their best, the Russian edged the unforced error count 41-39. Belgian third seed Kim Clijsters was the only one of the competition's top four players to emerge unscathed from the day's play as she advanced with a routine 6-1 6-4 win over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. The second set featured five breaks of serve and the strain proved too much for Strycova, who smashed her racquet. US Open champion Clijsters was in optimistic mood, however, and said: "I feel good, I feel fit. I think that's obviously something that adds a lot to your confidence if you feel good out there. "You have no small problems or you don't feel that physically you're struggling with any injury, you feel fine." Clijsters was joined in the quarter-finals by Belarus's Victoria Azarenka, who beat Shahar Peer 7-5 6-3. China's Li Na was taken to three sets before seeing off French qualifier Virginie Razzano 6-4 1-6 6-4, while Russia's Alisa Kleybanova dispatched Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 6-2 6-4. The rain returned later to stop play in the final match on centre court between men's fifth seed Richard Gasquet and local wildcard Matthew Ebden at 2-2 in the first set. However it relented to allow Gasquet to complete a 6-4 6-3 win.
|
Bookmark with:
What are these?