Wozniacki, Jankovic tumble in first round at Sydney International

SYDNEY -- U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki and former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic lost in the first round of the Sydney International on Monday, opening an easier route to the final for top-ranked Serena Williams in a key Australian Open warmup event.

Williams, who had a first-round bye, was due to start Tuesday against Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain. Justine Henin, the seven-time Grand Slam winner who is making her comeback to the tour after 20 months, withdrew from the Sydney tournament after straining her leg en route to the Brisbane International final on the weekend.

Henin had loomed as a potential second-round rival for Williams.

Wozniacki lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to China's Li Na but didn't think it was a major setback ahead of the Australian Open, which starts next Monday.

"It just didn't go my way today. That's the way it is sometimes. Next week is very important to me and hopefully I can do a great result there," Wozniacki said. "I'm just going to go to Melbourne and practice there and try to prepare as well as possible. I'll just stay positive just go for it."

Wozniacki won a tour-high 67 matches in 2009 and wants to keep moving up the rankings.

Jankovic lost 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 loss to Hungarian qualifier Agnes Szavay, but the Serbian player didn't see it as a setback to her chances at the season's first major.

"It's no problem. I have a week to train and to do some things," Jankovic said. "Playing in these kind of conditions, it still gives me some experience. I will bring that to Melbourne."

With eighth-seeded Vera Zvonareva forced to retire at 3-3 in the first set with an ankle sprain against fellow Russian Elena Vesnina, Williams has no other seeded players in the top half of the draw.

In other women's matches, Flavia Pennetta, who lost Saturday's final at Auckland to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, beat Australia's Hopman Cup representative Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-1, Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska beat American Jill Craybas 6-0, 6-4 and sixth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated Sabina Lisicki of Germany 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Veteran Japanese qualifier Kimiko Date Krumm had a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 victory against Russia's Nadia Petrova.

On the men's side, former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis beat local wild-card entry Nick Lindahl 6-2, 7-5 and Argentina's Leonardo Mayer advanced over seventh-seeded Igor Andreev of Russia 6-7 (7), 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Baghdatis, who lost the 2006 Australian final to Roger Federer, only got one-third of his first serves into play, but was broken only once in the match and broke Lindhal's serve twice in each set.

In other men's first-round matches, Frenchman Richard Gasquet beat Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-4, Potito Starace of Italy beat Frederico Gil of Portugal 6-1, 6-4 and Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas held off Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-2, 7-6 (1).

"It's for sure a good start, because Lopez is a great player, and he has a great serve," Gasquet said. "I played well last year with semifinal in this tournament, so I'm happy to be there and to win the first match."

The draw opened up in Gasquet's bracket when his compatriot, top-seeded Gael Monfils, withdrew from the tournament Monday due to an injured right shoulder.