Home favourite Stosur suffers shock early exit
US OPEN champion and home favourite Sam Stosur admitted her extreme disappointment after becoming the highest-profile first-round casualty of the Australian Open.
Stosur, the sixth seed, was beaten in straight sets by Romanian world No59 Sorana Cirstea, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, in the biggest shock this year in Melbourne. “I am extremely disappointed,” said the 27-year-old (inset). “I really, really wanted to do well here and I did everything I could to try to give myself a good opportunity – but it obviously didn’t happen.”
Twelfth seed Serena Williams put her recent injury problems behind her with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Tamira Paszek, while men’s defending champion Novak Djokovic lost just two games as he thrashed Italian Paolo Lorenzi. Seeds David Ferrer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Roddick also progressed.