Australian Open: ; Sharapova Beaten in Opening Round; Safina Advances

Summary

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MELBOURNE, Australia - Former champion Maria Sharapova has lost her first-round match at the Australian Open to fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4.

The 14th-seeded Sharapova, who won the Australian Open in 2008 but missed last year's tournament due to shoulder surgery, fell behind 4-1 in the third set today after taking a 2-0 lead when she broke Kirilenko's serve in a game that went to deuce nine times.

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Australian Open: ; Sharapova Beaten in Opening Round; Safina Advances

Sharapova rallied to get back to 4-5, but had her serve broken in the final game.

Kirilenko next plays Yvonne Meusburger of Austria, who beat Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in an...

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