SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -James Blake's attempt to win his third successive Sydney International ended Monday after just one match.
France's Fabrice Santoro beat the third-seeded American 7-6 (4), 6-2, taking a 5-0 lead in the second set before Blake came back to win a pair of games. Blake broke Santoro with the Frenchman serving for the match, but then lost it on his own service two games later.
Blake won the Sydney International in 2006 and 2007, beating Carlos Moya in last year's final. He was trying to become the first man since Australian John Bromwich in 1940 to win the title three times in a row.
Blake, who helped the United States win the Davis Cup in November over Russia, said he had some problems adjusting to the new plexicushion surface - the same surface that will be used in Melbourne at the Australian Open.
"Maybe it was him, maybe it was the court, but it seemed so slow it was tough for me to put balls away," said Blake. "I think I got a bit ahead of myself."
Blake admitted to being a little sluggish after his late 2007 season due to the Davis Cup.
"I would have loved to have had a longer offseason, but I'll trade that for a Davis Cup win anytime," he said.
Top-seeded Richard Gasquet of France beat Igor Andreev of Russia 6-3, 7-6 (6), saving two sets points in the tiebreaker and winning the last four points of the match.
In women's play, Daniela Hantuchova's career revival continued and Russian Ana Chakvetadze, the No. 5 seed, was the first upset loser on the women's side.
Chakvetadze lost 7-5, 6-1 to Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia while the sixth-seeded Hantuchova recovered from a set and service break down to beat compatriot Dinara Safina 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
Hantuchova won her second and third career titles in 2007 at Indian Wells and Linz, moving back into the top 10 at No. 9 after a five-year absence.
"I guess maturing a little bit and getting the experience and knowing what to do in important times, and also enjoying everything more," Hantuchova, 24, said of the reasons for her improvement.
In other first-round results, Tatiana Golovin of France advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Tzipora Obziler of Israel, 2006 runner-up Francesca Schiavone of Italy beat American Jill Craybas 6-4, 6-4 and Shahar Peer of Israel beat Ukrainian qualifier Yuliana Fedak 6-3, 6-2.
