New Zealand tennis number one Marina Erakovic has squandered a 4-1 lead in the first set of her Australian Open first round match against seventh seed Garbine Muguruza to lose 7-5 6-4.
The New Zealand tennis number one Marina Erakovic. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The 28-year-old New Zealander had a 5-4 lead in the first set and had one set point but was unable to close it out, eventually losing in two sets.
Ranked 110 in the world, Erakovic wasn't expected to cause too much concern for the French Open champion but Muguruza struggled with a thigh problem during the match.
At one point, the Spaniard went off the court for medical treatment and that's when Erakovic felt the the match had swung out of her favour.
"She came back, wasn't moving as great and I capitalised on that and I saw an opportunity there and I got very nervous.
"I got tight and I didn't hit out as much, my balls got shorter and I just lost the momentum, it happens.
"It's another lesson in tennis but life goes on, it's hard but you've just got to take it on the chin," Erakovic said.
Muguruza will play the United States' Samantha Crawford in the second round.
Erakovic meanwhile will head back to Auckland before heading to the Taiwan Open in late January.
-RNZ
