Stosur shocked, Williams wins

Reigning US Open champion Samantha Stosur crashed out in the first round of the Australian Open as five-time champion Serena Williams battled through in the early hours of Wednesday.

In the first major shock at the season-opening grand slam, local favourite Stosur delivered an error-strewn performance in the Rod Laver Arena to lose 6-7 (2/7), 3-6 to Romania's Sorana Cirstea on Tuesday.

It continued a miserable run in Melbourne for the 27-year-old sixth seed, who has failed to make it past the fourth round in 12 attempts but came into this year's tournament as a grand slam champion after victory in New York.

"There's not any other word for it but a total disappointment," Stosur said.

"It's not through lack of trying or not wanting it or anything like that. I mean, you can't pick the times that you want to play well," she added.

Cirstea joked: "Probably the whole of Australia hates me right now."

Williams didn't start her match against Austria's Tamira Paszek until 11:30 pm, after Lleyton Hewitt's marathon win against Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, and took time to warm-up against the world number 45.

Showing no signs of the ankle injury that forced her out of the Brisbane International two weeks ago, Williams eventually overpowered Paszek to win 6-3, 6-2 and set up a second-round clash with Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

Earlier, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and former world No 1 Maria Sharapova both turned in impressive performances to crush their opponents.

After going 2-0 down at the start of the match, Kvitova won 12 straight games to sweep aside Russia's Vera Dushevina in straight sets 6-2, 6-0.

The Czech left-hander dropped her first service game but once she found her range there was nothing Dushevina could do to stop the onslaught.

Kvitova, 21, who reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne last year, broke the Russian three times in each set and faced only two break points on her own serve, underlining her dominance.

"After a slow beginning it was fine," Kvitova said. "You know, it looks easy, the score, but it wasn't. The games, some were very close and I'm glad that I'm through."

Kvitova now goes on to play Carla Suarez Navarro after the Spaniard beat Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu 6-1, 7-5.

Former champion Sharapova demolished Argentina's Gisela Dulko 6-0, 6-1 in less than an hour.

Sharapova, who won the title in 2008, was at her ruthless best as she overpowered the Argentine in stifling conditions.

The Russian fourth seed also showed no signs of a left ankle injury that forced her to withdraw from the Brisbane International two weeks ago.

"I knew I had a tough opponent today," a delighted Sharapova said. "I focused on every point and took her time away – she's a player who loves time on the ball."

Sharapova has a relatively easy second-round match-up against US qualifier Jamie Hampton.

Another former world No 1, Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, raced through the first set against Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino before winning 6-0, 6-3.

Seventh seed Vera Zvonareva beat Romania's Alexandra Dulgheru 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 while France's Marion Bartoli, the ninth seed, beat compatriot Virginie Razzano 7-5, 6-0.

German 14th seed Sabine Lisicki survived a scare from Swiss qualifier Stefanie Voegele to win 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 and 17th seed Dominika Cibulkova thumped fellow Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-1.

Two seeded Russians also progressed. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (15) downed Czech Klara Zakopalova 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 and Maria Kirilenko (27) beat Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4, 6-2.

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