SYDNEY: The US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki and former No 1 Jelena Jankovic lost in the first round of the Sydney International today, opening an easier route to the final for top-ranked Serena Williams in a key Australian Open warmup event.

Wozniacki lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to China’s Li Na and Jankovic went down 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 loss to Hungarian qualifier Agnes Szavay.

In other women’s matches, Flavia Pennetta beat Australia’s Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-1, Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska beat American Jill Craybas 6-0, 6-4 and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated Sabina Lisicki of Germany 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. Veteran Japanese qualifier Kimiko Date Krumm had a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win over Russia’s Nadia Petrova.

On the men’s side, Marcos Baghdatis beat local wild-card entry Nick Lindahl 6-2, 7-5 and Leonardo Mayer advanced over Igor Andreev 6-7 (7),

6-3, 7-6 (4). Richard Gasquet eased to a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 win over Feliciano Lopez, Potito Starace held off Frederico Gil 6-1, 6-4 and Pablo Cuevas vercame Michael Llodra 6-2, 7-6 (1).