Former champs Cornet, Barthel out in 1st round at Hobart (Jan 7, 2018)
HOBART, Australia (AP) Former champions Alize Cornet and Mona Barthel were ousted in the first round of the Hobart International on Sunday, each losing in straight sets.
Mihaela Buzarnescu beat fourth-seeded Cornet 6-2, 6-4 and Varvara Lepchenko had a 6-0, 7-6 (4) win over 2012 winner Barthel.
Cornet was hampered by an upper leg injury but said she didn't think it would be a concern for the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 15.
''My leg was a bit painful ... maybe I was a little bit too focused on my leg and not enough on the game,'' Cornet, the 2016 Hobart winner, said. ''I was totally passive and she was just doing whatever she wanted on the court - that was really frustrating for me.''
In other first-round matches, Yulia Putintseva had a 6-3, 6-3 win over Naomi Osaka and Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Lizette Cabrera 6-3, 6-2.
