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Fifth seed Ana Ivanovic admitted she was in need of a new approach after crashing out of the Australian Open on the opening day in Melbourne.
Ivanovic looked to be in charge of her match with Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka on Rod Laver Arena when she took the first set 6-1, but won just five more games in a 6-1 3-6 2-6 defeat.
The former world number one reached the quarter-finals here last year and came into the event on the back of reaching the final of the recent WTA Tour event in Brisbane.
Australian Open 2015 in picturesShow all 54 1 /54Australian Open 2015 in pictures Australian Open 2015 in pictures Novak Djokovic DEF Andy Murray Andy Murray looks on as Novak Djokovic holds the trophy
Australian Open 2015 in pictures Novak Djokovic DEF Andy Murray Novak Djokovic lifts his trophy
Australian Open 2015 in pictures Novak Djokovic DEF Andy Murray Andy Murray ponders what went wrong after the defeat
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Serena Williams DEF Maria Sharapova Serena Williams wins the 2015 Australian Open
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Serena Williams DEF Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova was unable to cope with Serena Williams' power
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Serena Williams DEF Maria Sharapova Serena Williams celebrates a point in her Australian Open victory over Maria Sharapova
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Novak Djokovic DEF Stan Wawrinka Novak Djokovic consoles Stan Wawrinka after the match
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Tomas Berdych Andy Murray reaches the final of the Australian Open after beating Tomas Berdych in another impressive display, but the match was marred by ill feeling
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Tomas Berdych Tomas Berdych said something during the match which clearly angered Murray
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Tomas Berdych Andy Murray unleashes a forehand during his impressive victory over Tomas Berdych
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Novak Djokovic DEF Milos Raonic Novak Djokovic (L) speaks with Canada's Milos Raonic after victory
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Nick Kyrgios Kim Sears watches on as her fiancé Andy Murray takes on Nick Kyrgios
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Nick Kyrgios Andy Murray celebrates a point against Nick Kyrgios
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Nick Kyrgios Andy Murray celebrates the victory over Nick Kyrgios in the Australian Open quarter-finals
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Nick Kyrgios Nick Kyrgios appeals a point during his quarter-final defeat to Andy Murray
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Maria Sharapova DEF Eugenie Bouchard Eugenie Bouchard walks off the court holding back the tears after her Australian Open exit
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Maria Sharapova DEF Eugenie Bouchard Maria Sharapova celebrates victory over Eugenie Bouchard in the Australian Open quarter-finals
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Maria Sharapova DEF Eugenie Bouchard Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard shake hands after their Australian Open quarter-final clash
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Tomas Berdych DEF Rafael Nadal Tomas Berdych shakes hands with Rafael Nadal after knocking the Spaniard out of the Australian Open
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Tomas Berdych DEF Rafael Nadal Rafael Nadal suffered a straight-sets defeat to Tomas Berdych
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Tomas Berdych DEF Rafael Nadal Tomas Berdych celebrates his victory over Rafael Nadal
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Stan Wawrinka DEF Guillermo Garcia Lopez Stan Wawrinka signs autographs for fans after seeing off Guillermo Garcia-Lopez
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Stan Wawrinka DEF Guillermo Garcia Lopez Stan Wawrinka came through his fourth round match against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to reach the quarter-finals
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Stan Wawrinka DEF Guillermo Garcia Lopez Guillermo Garcia-Lopez was unable to halt Wawrinka despite a third-set fightback
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Serena Williams DEF Garbine Muguruza Serena Williams recovered from a set down to beat Garbine Muguruza
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Serena Williams DEF Garbine Muguruza Serena Williams recovered from a set down to beat Garbine Muguruza
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Dominika Cibulkova DEF Victoria Azarenka Victoria Azarenka was knocked out by Dominika Cibulkova
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Dominika Cibulkova DEF Victoria Azarenka Dominika Cibulkova shocked Victoria Azarenka to reach the quarter-finals
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Joao Sousa Andy Murray celebrates his third round victory over Joao Sousa
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Joao Sousa Sousa was unable to trouble Murray as he lost in straight sets
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Joao Sousa Murray will face Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Joao Sousa Kim Sears can barely watch on as Murray battles Sousa
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Eugenie Bouchard DEF Caroline Garcia Bouchard waves to the crowd following her victory over Caroline Garcia
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Eugenie Bouchard DEF Caroline Garcia Eugenie Bouchard beat Caroline Garcia 7-5 6-0 to move into the fourth round
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Eugenie Bouchard DEF Caroline Garcia Caroline Garcia was unable to stop Bouchard as she went down in straight sets
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andreas Seppi DEF Roger Federer Roger Federer shakes hands with Andreas Seppi after his third round elimination at the Australian Open
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andreas Seppi DEF Roger Federer Andreas Seppi celebrates his victory over Roger Federer
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andreas Seppi DEF Roger Federer Roger Federer reacts to defeat against Andreas Seppi
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Serena Williams DEF Vera Zvonareva Serena Williams celebrates winning a point against Vera Zvonareva
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Eugenie Bouchard DEF Kiki Bertens Eugenie Bouchard was asked to 'do a twirl' after her win over Kiki Bertens
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Stanislas Wawrinka DEF Marius Copil Stan Wawrinka beat Marius Copil to progress to the third round
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Novak Djokovic DEF Andrey Kuznetsov Novak Djokovic powered past the challenge of Andrey Kuznetsov
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Novak Djokovic DEF Andrey Kuznetsov Novak Djokovic celebrates his straight-sets victory over Andrey Kuznetsov
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Novak Djokovic DEF Andrey Kuznetsov Kuznetsov couldn't cope with Djokovic in the opening two sets as the Serbian asserted his dominance
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Day 1 Australian fans cheer on during the first round match between Nick Kyrgios of Australia and Federico Delbonis of Argentina
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Lucie Hradecka DEF Ana Ivanovic Lucie Hradecka stunned Ana Ivanovic with a 6-1 3-6 2-6 victory
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Lucie Hradecka DEF Ana Ivanovic Ivanovic screams out in anger after her defeat to Hradecka
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Lucie Hradecka DEF Ana Ivanovic Ana Ivanovic slides on the Rod Lever Arena court surface during her surprise defeat to Hradecka
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Rafael Nadal DEF Mikhail Youzhny Rafael Nadal shakes hands with Mikhail Youzhny after his first round victory
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Rafael Nadal DEF Mikhail Youzhny Nadal celebrates after his first round victory
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Rafael Nadal DEF Mikhail Youzhny Nadal needed just 1 hour and 49 minutes to defeat Youzhny and move into the second round
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Yuri Bhambri Andy Murray beat Yuri Bhambri in the first round 6-3, 6-4, 7-6
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Yuri Bhambri Andy Murray and Yuri Bhambri shake hands after the former's first round victory
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Australian Open 2015 in pictures Andy Murray DEF Yuri Bhambri Murray's first round victory wasn't his most convincing victory of his career
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But the 27-year-old Serbian has now failed to reach a single grand slam semi-final in 27 attempts since winning the French Open in 2008.
"I think the whole match I didn't really feel like myself out there," Ivanovic said. "It was really tough for me to find my rhythm.
"There is always nerves in the beginning. I felt like I was maybe lacking a little bit of practice this week, I had some issues. But I played okay in the beginning. I just felt second and third set I really dropped my level.
"It's really disappointing. You know, it's probably the worst thing could happen. But still, the year is young and I really have to now sit and work on a few things and just maybe try to have a different approach to this kind of event and try to see what was lacking."
Lucie Hradecka stunned Ana Ivanovic with a 6-1 3-6 2-6 victory (Getty Images) World number 142 Hradecka could hardly comprehend what she had achieved, adding: "I still don't believe that it's true. Probably in a couple of hours I will know that I am in the second round in Australian Open and I beat Ana. It's two hours after the match and I'm still smiling."
Ivanovic was not the only seed to make an early exit, with 32nd seed Belinda Bencic beaten 6-2 6-1 by Julia Goerges, while 27th seed and former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova also lost in straight sets to France's Caroline Garcia.
Former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki was another to bow out, the German 28th seed losing in three sets to France's Kristina Mladenovic.
Ivanovic slides on the Rod Lever Arena court surface during her surprise defeat to Hradecka (Getty Images) Third seed Simona Halep lost the first two games of her match with Italy's Karin Knapp, but bounced back to win 6-3 6-2.
Ninth seed Angelique Kerber also suffered a surprise defeat, losing a deciding set 6-1 to Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu after winning the previous set 6-0.
Second seed Maria Sharapova and seventh seed Eugenie Bouchard were in action in the evening session against Petra Martic and Anna-Lena Friedsam respectively.
PA
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