SYDNEY — Australia's Samantha Stosur failed to allay fears she could be heading for another early exit at her home Grand Slam with a scrappy performance in Hobart while a trio of big names tumbled out of the Sydney International Monday. Double Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and French Open winner Francesca Schiavone crashed out of the first round in Sydney, while former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic also booked an early flight to Melbourne for next week's Australian Open. Stosur appeared on course to become the third Grand Slam winner to lose Monday when she struggled at the Hobart International before the top seed overcame two lengthy rain delays, chilly conditions and stubborn American qualifier Madison Brengle. The 23-year-old Brengle won the first set in a tiebreak before Stosur managed to run away with the second and then claimed the third set tiebreak on her fifth match point to clinch the 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) victory. Russia's Kuznetsova was surprisingly beaten 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 by American lucky loser Varvara Lepchenko. Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, lost 6-4, 6-4 to Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic. The 33-year-old Italian was also knocked out of the first round of the Brisbane tournament last week by Jankovic. Serbia's Jankovic, the fourth seed in Sydney, was unable to repeat her semifinal run in Brisbane and was swept aside 6-4, 6-2 by Russian left-hander Ekaterina Makarova, who used her big ground strokes to move the world number eight around the court. Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, playing for the first time since announcing her engagement to golfer Rory McIlroy over the New Year, overcame a tough challenge from Germany's Julia Goerges before she clinched a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory to set up a second round showdown against Safarova. In the men's singles, French sixth seed Julien Benneteau beat Australian Matthew Ebden 6-2, 6-2 and Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin won over Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-1, 6-2. Sock glides into 2nd round In Auckland, rising American talent Jack Sock cruised through the first round of the Auckland Open Monday, downing France's Adrian Mannarino in straight sets. The 21-year-old, ranked 100 in the world, looked in complete control as he beat Mannarino 6-3, 6-4 in just over an hour. In the day's only other matches, Horacio Zeballos of Argentina defeated Italy's Filippo Volandri 6-0, 7-6 (7-1) and Colombian Santiago Giraldo swept aside Albert Montanes of Spain 6-1, 7-6 (7-3). — Agencies
