Safina stunned by Tokyo loss

Safina: Stunned by Chang

I didn't play good in the match today. I had a lot chances in the third set and just let it go

Dinara Safina
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Defending champion Dinara Safina suffered a startling 7-6 4-6 7-5 defeat in her opening match at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo to Taiwanese qualifier Chang Kai-chen.

The world number one, who failed to make it past the third round in the US Open earlier this month, struggled against her opponent from the start of the second round match, despite 18-year-old Chang being 131 places below her in the rankings.

The top seed, given a first-round bye at the $2million tournament, lost the first set tiebreak 7-5 but managed to fight back by taking the second with a powerful backhand.

Nerves

The Russian's nerves returned as she entered the deciding set and although she seized an early break, she submissively relinquished her serve at 5-4 up with a doubt-fault.

"The double fault didn't effect me that much," said Safina.

"Whether it's a double fault or a mistake it's the same. It's just the way I played at 5-4. It wasn't the right game, I didn't use my first serve the whole game."

Chang kept her composure and secured the biggest win of her career by converting her third match point on a forehand error from the Russian.

"On match point, I was just thinking the same thing as always," said Chang.

"I wasn't thinking 'Oh, I have match point, I'm going to win'."

Safina's rights to the top spot have been under scrutiny since her failure to secure a maiden grand slam victory this year.

"This is not an easy moment but that's sport," said the Russian. "I didn't play good in the match today. I had a lot chances in the third set and just let it go."

Defeat

Meanwhile, last year's runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova also bowed out to a qualifier with a 7-5 4-6 6-3 second-round defeat by German Andrea Petkovic.

The fifth seed struggled for rhythm on serve in the first set and although she went on to recover in the second, Petkovic held strong in the decider.

Number two seed Venus Williams exited in the second round at the hands of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, with the Russian securing a 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 win.

Pavlyuchenkova raced into a 3-1 lead in the second set and eventually sealed the win in the 12th game by breaking Williams to 15.

The opening round saw former winner and world number 25 Maria Sharapova struggling against Francesca Schiavone who was up one set as they went into the second.

The Russian, who triumphed at the tournament in 2005, managed to fight back and claim a 4-6 7-5 6-1 victory.

The first round also saw wins for seeds Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli and Samantha Stosur while Russian 13th seed Nadia Petrova was 6-0 2-1 up when her opponent, Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama, retired because of illness.