Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
BRAD VEN WELY
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia - Martina Hingis is out of the Sydney International after just one round. Unseeded Jelena Jankovic upset the fifth-seeded Hingis 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 Monday.
The 21-year-old Serbian won the second title of her short career in Auckland last week and moved her Swiss opponent all around the court during the two-hour match.
"I just came from Auckland so I didn't have much time to recover, I was quite proud of how I managed to pull through," Jankovic said.
Hingis was a finalist in her first tournament of 2007 on the Gold Coast last week, losing to Dinara Safina in three sets.
With seven of the top 10 women in the world playing the traditional Australian Open warmup tournament, Hingis knew she was in for a tough week. She will now focus on winning a fourth title in Melbourne.
"At least Ill be fresh and ready to go (for the Australian Open). I always take the positive," Hingis said.
Jankovic will play Australian wild card Samantha Stosur in the second round. Earlier, Stosur and Tatiana Golovin of France advanced with straight-set victories.
Stosur beat Vera Zvonareva of Russia 6-1, 6-4 and Golovin defeated Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai 6-4, 7-5.
Serving for the match, Stosur saved two break points before pushing Zvonareva into an unforced error on the Australian's second match point.
"I think I definitely came into the net pretty well today," Stosur said. "I like the courts here, I think they work kind of in my favor with my good serve."
Defending Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo is the top women's seed in Sydney in the absence of Justine Henin-Hardenne, who pulled out of Sydney and the Australian Open last week due to undisclosed personal reasons.
In men's play Monday, Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus made a successful return to Australian courts with a straight-sets victory over Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis.
It was Baghdatis's first match in Australia since losing to Roger Federer in last year's Australian Open final. With more than a dozen Sydney-based relatives watching, Baghdatis won 7-6 (3), 6-1.
Baghdatis will play Jan Hernych for a place in the quarterfinals after the Czech qualifier upset last year's runner-up, Italian Andreas Seppi, 6-4, 6-2.
Fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych also advanced, downing Australian qualifier Robert Smeets 6-2, 7-5. Fernando Verdasco of Spain upset eighth-seeded Sebastien Grosjean of France 6-4, 6-4.
Second-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain is the top men's seed at Sydney and is scheduled to play his first-round match Tuesday or Wednesday against Australian Chris Guccione.
Federer is using the Kooyong exhibition tournament in Melbourne this week as his final preparation for defense of his Australian Open title.