Third time unlucky as Radwanska goes down on grass

EASTBOURNE, United Kingdom: Former champion Agnieszka Radwanska succumbed to a first-round defeat for the third year in succession at the ATP-WTA Eastbourne International on Monday as the top seed was beaten 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Radwanska, winner here in 2008, failed again to gain traction on the south coast lawns and goes into next week´s start of Wimbledon well short of match practise.

German fifth seed Angelique Kerber got off to a winning start on a chilly, dry day at Devonshire Park, where the usual bothersome winds were not in evidence.

The 2012 finalist beat American Alison Riske 7-6 (8/6), 6-4. Elena Vesnina of Russia reached the second round, beating China´s Peng Shuai 6-3, 6-4.

Radwanska came to Britain without a title so far this year and fresh from a third-round defeat at Roland Garros.

The Pole had won four of her five previous meetings with the 26th-ranked Pavlyuchenkova. The Russian spent almost two-and-a-half hours compiling her upset win, firing nine aces and 41 winners while breaking four times from eight chances. Radwanska took the final set into a tie-break, trailing her Russian opponent 1-3, and 3-5.

Eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki, the 2009 champion, recovered from deficits in both sets as she beat Australian Samantha Stosur 7-5, 6-4. American Sloane Stephens beat Caroline Garcia of France 6-2, 6-4.

Alize Cornet of France defeated Serb Bojana Jovanovski 6-3, 6-2. Former world number one Victoria Azarenka is making her return to tennis this week after more than three months out with a foot injury, which she says is now fine.

The two-time Australian Open champion from Belarus starts in the first round on a wild card against Italian Camila Giorgi.

In the men´s draw, a pair of Frenchman advanced with Jeremy Chardy upsetting fifth seed Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-4 and 2013 finalist Gilles Simon, the number six seed, beginning with a defeat of Australian qualifier Chris Guccione, playing his first ATP singles match in almost a year, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

Slovak Martin Klizan, the Munich champion last Mayy knocked out Argentine eighth seed Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-4.

Australian Bernard Tomic ignored distractions from an adjacent court, lining up a second-round meeting with top seed Richard Gasquet after a defeat of Andrey Golubev 6-4, 6-4. (AFP)