UPDATE 7pm: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki is the first big-name casualty of the 2013 Brisbane International after the eighth seed was upset in three-sets 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(1) by Kazakh qualifier Ksenia Pervak.
With boyfriend and world No.1 golfer Rory McIlroy watching from the stands, Wozniacki’s first centre-court appearance at Pat Rafter Arena ended in a shock 6-2 3-6 6-7 (1-7) exit at the hands of the 103rd-ranked Pervak.
Wozniacki had beaten Pervak in three sets in their two previous meetings and looked to have the momentum heading into the tiebreak after rallying from 5-3 down in the deciding set.
But Pervak rose to the occasion, racing to a 5-0 lead before posting a career-first victory against a top-10 rival.
McIlroy, who was busy updating his thousands of Twitter followers, was on the edge of his seat during the final set.
“Obviously it’s tough to lose 7-6 in the third,” said Wozniacki.
“It was a tough match – it could have gone both ways … didn’t go my way today.”
Pervak, who spent three hours on the court on Sunday securing her place in the field, wasn’t feeling any pain after her win.
“I feel great right now,” she told the centre court crowd which was treated to a high-class clash of 165 minutes.
“I don’t feel any hurt.”
She was, however, feeling plenty of hurt earlier this year after continuing to play with a minor pelvic injury which eventually turned into a stress fracture, stopping her in her tracks.
“I was top 40 and I got injured in February this year,” Pervak said.
“It was a small injury which was bothering me like all the time and then became a stress fracture, so I was not able to play for a few months when I needed to defend my points.
“I was really upset because I played really good tennis.
“I was continuing to play and play and just took painkillers, and so it got worse.”