Caroline Wozniacki is already out of the Australian Open, losing 6-1, 6-7, 4-6 to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva on the opening day.
After a comfortable opening set in which the 16th seed barely broke sweat, the second was a completely different affair, lasting a punishing 88 minutes.
Wozniacki’s first serve deserted her as her opponent, the world number 76, outfought her from the baseline, eventually winning the tiebreak 7-3.
The Dane had treatment to her right foot early in the third set in an effort to stop the rot, but it was in vain.
Few excuses
Since making the semis in 2011, Woz has in the five years that followed been eliminated in the quarter-finals, fourth round, third round, second round and first round.
“It wasn’t a pretty first set but I got it done and really should have closed it off in two,” Wozniacki told media after the match.
“You know, I let her back into the match, and it was basically my own fault that I’m not here as the winner.”
The despondent Dane might find solace in the knowledge that last year’s poor showing means she wasn’t defending many ranking points.
