MADRID: World number two Simona Halep crashed to a shock 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 defeat to France’s Alize Cornet, whilst Eugenie Bouchard’s slump continued in the first round of the Madrid Open on Sunday.

However, there were no such problems for world number one Serena Williams or defending champion Maria Sharapova who both eased through in straight sets.

Halep reached the final in the Spanish capital last year, but looked out of sorts as a double fault handed Cornet the opening set in a tie-break.

And the Romanian’s serve crumbled when serving to stay in the match in the second as Cornet wrapped up victory in just under two hours on court.

Wimbledon finalist Bouchard’s alarming loss of form continued as she lost a sixth consecutive match to the Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova 6-0, 3-6, 3-6.

Williams moved to 21-0 on the year with a 6-0, 6-1 destruction of fellow American Madison Brengle and will face compatriot Sloane Stephens in round two.

Stephens beat fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday.

Sharapova showed no signs of her recent struggles with form and fitness as she beat Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky 6-2, 6-3 to set up a second round clash with Britain’s Heather Watson or Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino.

Fourth seed Petra Kvitova had to come from a set down to see off Belarus’s Olga Govortsova 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Caroline Wozniacki continued her encouraging form of late with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova.

The Dane’s conqueror in the final in Stuttgart last weekend, Angelique Kerber, suffered an early exit, though, as the German lost out 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to former US Open champion Samantha Stosur.

There was also plenty for the home fans to cheer as 10th seed Carla Suarez Navarro and world number 20 Garbine Muguruza booked their places in the second round.

On Saturday, world number seven Ana Ivanovic and Agnieszka Radwanska advan­ced to the second round but eighth seed Ekaterina Makarova and Australian Open semi-finalist Madison Keys crashed out.

Makarova was routed by fellow Russian Svet­lana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-1 while Keys lost to Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-4, 6-3.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play