Serbia's Novak Djokovic opened his2009 season Tuesday with a surprise defeat in the first round of the Brisbane International, losing in straight sets to Latvia's Ernests Gublis.
Djokovic, currently ranked third in the world, went down 6-4, 6-4 to the 20-year-old Latvian who finished last year at No. 53.
Both players dropped serve twice to open the second set before Djokovic held for a 3-2 lead.
But he was in trouble again in the ninth game, facing two breakpoints at 15-40 and dropping serve when he lost a scrambling rally.
Gulbis closed out at love, sealing the win in 1 hour, 28 minutes with an ace, his fourth of the match.
Second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who lost to Djokovic in the last Australian Open final, beat Argentina's Agustin Calleri 6-2, 7-5 and is now favored to win the inaugural Brisbane title.
Fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic crushed Australian Brydan Klein 6-0, 6-4, No. 7 Richard Gasquet of France overcame American Taylor Dent 7-5, 6-4, and No. 4 Robin Soderling of Swedenhad a 6-3, 6-3 win over Julien Benneteau in a second-round match.
On the women's side, second-seeded Victoria Azarenka missed two match point chances before sealing a 7-6 (4), 7-5 win over Jarmila Gajdosova of Slovakia and No. 3 Marion Bartoli of France beat Hungary's Melinda Czink 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
Tathiana Garbin of Italy rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Russia's Alisa Kleybanova.
(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2009)
