体坛英语新闻：Safina, Ivanovic crashes out on round one of Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Lleyton Hewitt, Dinara Safina and Ana Ivanovic crashed out of Australian Open in Tuesday's round one, while Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva, Samantha Stosur and Shuai Peng advanced to the second round of the tournament.

World No. 1 Spanish Nadal spent only 46 minutes on court in his first round match against Brazilian Marcos Daniel, who retired with a sore knee and an equally painful 6-0 5-0 scoreline.

"It is difficult to say something, to say I played really well or I played bad," Nadal told reporters in Melbourne after the match on Tuesday.

"I played some good shots, some long shots, but the serve can be a little bit better.

"I can improve in everything for sure, but the only thing I feel I have to improve more if I want to play well here is the serve."

Nadal will play American qualifier Ryan Sweeting in second round, as he targets the "Rafa Slam", the first time one man has held all four major titles since Rod Laver in 1969.

In contrast, Argentine David Nalbandian completed a jaw- dropping 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(1), 9-7 victory to former World No. 1 Australian Lleyton Hewitt in a match that lasted four hours and 48 minutes.

"It was a very tough first round we both know it, every time we play it's long matches, tough ones, he's a real fighter," Nalbandian said after the match.

"Cramping was around all the time, he was too tired as well. I played the two match points, I play incredible, serve and volley, it was amazing, and then after that the match was for both. I can win, I can lose, the match was very close."

"I was one point to be two break points down in the fourth, so I play very good shots, I didn't care about it, I win my serve, and that's helped me, that helped me to win the match.

"I take that we both fight a lot all the time, it doesn't matter when we are tired we keep fighting. Today the match was for me, but he can win as well. I take the brave heart that I put today on court."

He will meet Lithuanian Richard Berankis in round two.

In the women's draw, No. 3 seed Belgium's Clijsters powered into the second round of the Australian Open and left former world number one Russian Safina shattered with a 6-0 6-0 victory.

The third seed was too strong, wrapping up victory in only 44 minutes.

Injury-hit Safina was a beaten finalist just two years ago, and she was again inconsolable when she left Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, burying her head in her hands as she faced the media.

"It was very tough," Safina said.

Clijsters will face Spanish Carla Suarez Navarro in round two.

No. 2 seed Vera Zvonareva enjoyed a trouble-free start to her campaign, outclassing unseeded Austrian Sybille Bammer in straight sets 6-2 6-1. She will face Serbian Bojana Jovanovski in next match.

Fifth seed Australian Samantha Stosur defeated American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the women's singles, and will meet Russian Vera Dushevina.

Chinese Shuai Peng defeated Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 2-6 6- 3 8-6 to set up a meeting with World No. 8 Serbian Jelena Jankovic in second round.

In other results, 19th seed Serbia's Ivanovic, another former number one and the 2008 French Open champion, continued her miserable Grand Slam form with a quick exit at the hands of 49th- ranked Russian Ekaterina Makarova.