Unforced errors lead to Venus’ early ouster

MELBOURNE, Australia – Wimbledon champion Venus Williams was knocked out of the Australian Open in the first round today, losing 2-6, 6-0, 9-7 to Tszvetana Pironkova.

It was only the third time in 34 Grand Slam tournaments that the five-time major winner has lost in the first round.

The 10th-seeded Williams sprayed 65 unforced errors, including 41 in the third set as she struggled to control her ground strokes in her first tour-level event since September.

Bulgaria’s Pironkova, ranked 94th, was broken when she served for the match in the ninth game of the third set.

Williams, who also had a chance to serve for the match in the 12th game, gave Pironkova match point with a backhand into the net and surrendered the 2-hour, 28-minute match on another backhand error.

Williams lost in the first round at Wimbledon in 1997 and at the French Open in 2001. Her previous earliest exit in Australia was in the third round.

Top-ranked Lindsay Davenport cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Australian wild card entry Casey Dellacqua, ranked No. 180.

Davenport, seeking her fourth Grand Slam singles title and first since winning here in 2000, set up three match points with an ace and clinched it in 57 minutes with an overhead winner.

Davenport won 19 of her last 21 service points against 20-year-old Dellacqua.

Davenport next faces Croatia’s Karolina Sprem, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine.

No. 9 Elena Dementieva was the first seeded player ousted from the season’s first major. The 24-year-old Russian, a semifinalist at the last U.S. Open, lost 7-5, 6-2 to Germany’s Julia Schruff.

No. 24 Tatiana Golovin and No. 26 Ai Sugiyama followed her out.

Former Wimbledon semifinalist Jelena Dokic, who won a wild card tournament to gain entry to her first Australian Open since 2001, crumbled after thinking she’d won her first-round match in straight sets.

Dokic celebrated a forehand on match point in the 12th game of the second set, but it was called long.

Virginie Razzano rallied to win it 3-6 7-6 (6) 6-1.

Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova, seeded 17th, overcame Japan’s Saori Obata 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 and No. 6 Nadia Petrova defeated Australia’s Sophie Ferguson 6-2, 6-1.

On the men’s side, Masters Cup champion David Nalbandian, seeded No. 4, overcame Thai qualifier Danai Udomchoke to advance 6-2, 6-2, 1-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1.

Eighth-seeded Gaston Gaudio, the 2004 French Open champion, was leading 6-2, 5-0 when Romania’s Razvan Sabau retired with an injured right elbow.

No. 13 Robby Ginepri only needed 1 hour, 19 minutes for a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Austria’s Jurgen Melzer.

Two Swedes went out on the opening morning. No. 17 Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic beat Bjorn Rehnquist 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and Denis Gremelmayr of Germany defeated Jonas Bjorkman 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, 6-1.

Men’s No. 2 Andy Roddick opens later today against Michael Lammer, a 23-year-old qualifier from Switzerland.

James Blake, who won the Sydney International on the weekend, was to play Jose Acasuso of Argentina.

On the women’s side, defending champion Serena Williams was against China’s Li Na in the first night match on center court and Maria Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, was to play Germany’s Sandra Kloesel.

Henin-Hardenne, the 2004 Australian Open winner and reigning French Open champion, went into her opening match against Marta Domachowska in form after winning the Sydney International on the weekend.