Casey Dellacqua bombs out in Sydney International - The Australian

Casey Dellacqua plays a return to Kimiko Date-Krumm in their match at the Sydney International Source: Getty Images

AUSTRALIA'S Casey Dellacqua made a swift first-round exit from the Sydney International today.

Dellacqua lost 6-4 6-1 to 42-year-old Japanese qualifier Kimiko Date-Krumm, the world No112 and oldest singles player on the WTA Tour.

Former Sydney champion Li Na advanced to the second round earlier with a nervy straight-sets win over American Christina McHale.

The Chinese fourth seed won 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 in a marathon two-hour affair to set up a meeting with Japanese qualifier Ayumi Morita, who ousted Slovak Daniela Hantuchova 1-6 6-3 6-3.

Li, who reigned in Sydney in 2011 before reaching the Australian Open final and winning the French Open, looms large in Samantha Stosur's quarter of the draw.

Stosur's French Open conqueror Sara Errani is also through to the second round after thumping Czech qualifier Karolina Pliskova 6-1 6-3.

The little Italian third seed next faces Russian starlet Maria Kirilenko, a 7-5 6-2 first-round winner over Australian wildcard Olivia Rogowska.

One-time world No1 Jelena Jankovic eliminated Austrian Tamira Paszek 6-2 7-6 (7-5) and will play unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci for a quarter-final berth.

Vinci upset Russian Nadia Petrova 7-5 7-5.

In the men’s draw Australian wildcard James Duckworth let slip a golden opportunity to register the biggest win of his fledgling tennis career, going down in three tight sets to Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.

The 209th-ranked Duckworth relinquished a break of serve after being up 2-0 in the deciding set, eventually going down 6-7 (7-4) 6-4 7-6 (7-3).

Istomin, ranked 43 in the world, had dumped Lleyton Hewitt from the first round of the Brisbane International last week before going down to eventual champion Andy Murray at the quarter-final stage.

The big Uzbek looked on the ropes at various stages in the final set but the 20-year-old Duckworth couldn't consolidate his early lead nor press through when he had other chances to snatch further breaks in the third set.

Things get considerably tougher for Istomin in the second round where he is slated to face fourth seed Fernando Verdasco.

AAP