Top seed Kuznetsova bundled out again at Indian Wells

Mar 13, 2010, 23:56 GMT

Indian Wells, California - Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova exited the Indian Wells Masters in an opening match for the second straight year, with the Russian falling victim Saturday to Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

The second round upset took just under two hours, with two-time finalist Kuznetsova losing the last six points in a frustrating display.

Suarez Navarro, the 42nd-ranked winner, is playing the event for only her second year, winning her first match at the venue two days earlier in the opening round.

Kuznetsova's best result in 2010 is the fourth round of the Australian Open, while Suarez Navarro reached the semi-finals in Acapulco.

Reigning French Open champion Kuznetsova never found the game that has taken her to a pair of Grand Slam titles, striking seven double- faults and losing serve six times.

There was better luck for three other women's seeds at the joint ATP-WTA event in the desert.

Number three Ukrainian Victoria Azarenka overwhelmed Austrian Sybille Bammer 6-1, 7-5, while Italian ninth seed Flavia Pennetta put out Czech Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-3.

'I felt pretty good today,' said Azarenka, who will be defending the Miami title later in the month. 'The first match, especially here, is always tough. But overall, I think it was a good match. Sybille is a good player, so I'm happy with my performance.'

US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, seeded 13th, beat German Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-4.

On the men's side, number five Nikolay Davydenko showed a recovery from the wrist injury that kept him from Davis Cup, defeating Delray Beach champion Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 6-4, 6-4.

Tenth seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain, another Davis injury absentee who won the San Jose title last month, began his campaign with a defeat of Ramon Delgado 6-4, 6-1.

Argentine Brian Dabul pounced on injury-plagued French 16th seed Gilles Simon for a 7-5, 6-4 win as Simon continues his struggle with knee tendinitis.