Jarmila Groth makes first-round exit at Australian Open

THE golden run of Jarmila Groth during the summer has come to an end.

The happy-go-lucky Melburnian lost a close three-set match on Rod Laver Arena to 21st seed Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 2-6 6-4.

So much was anticipated in the match, but the end result was not unexpected. Groth had reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane, including a magnificent victory over world No 6 and fellow Australian Sam Stosur, and then collected her second WTA title in Hobart on Saturday night.

But Groth has to endure the highs and lows of sport in the space of 48 hours.

"What can I say? I tried. I have nothing to be ashamed of, I played my heart out. Unfortunately I had chances but she played too well in the end," she said with tears in her eyes.

"I was still trying to turn it around and make my own chances to win and not just let the match happen. I wanted to put everything into it so if I did lose, I could say that I did everything I could."

Wickmayer is no stranger to hardcourt success. She reached the fourth round in Melbourne last year, losing to eventual finalist and Belgian compatriot Justine Henin. She was also a semi-finalist at the US Open two years ago and her groundstrokes zip off the Plexicushion surface.

Groth refused to say her win in Hobart left her with any tiredness or flatness.

"I got to a lot of balls, I moved well. I did play two-and-a-half hours so you can't say I wasn't physically ready for it," the 23-year-old said.

Cheered on by husband Sam Groth, who fell in men's qualifying on Sunday, and her coach Gavin Hopper, Groth still has mixed doubles and women's doubles left.

"The crowd was great on Rod Laver Arena so from that point of view I would love to do it again," she said of trying to extend her Australian Open experience.

From six first-round matches, Groth is 0-6.

"I thought I played pretty well, pretty solid and had my moments. But she is top 20 for a reason so it was a tough first round. I matched her in a lot of things, especially the returns.

"But the chances she got, she used and the ones I got, I didn't."

However, she took great heart in the fact she has a career-best ranking of No 34 and thinks a top-20 finish sometime this year is realistic.

Belgium's Justine Henin came back from a set down to beat Indian qualifier Sania Mirza 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 in a torrid first-round clash.

Henin, who is returning from an elbow injury, said she felt in superior shape physically to her comeback a year ago when she reached the final. But having not played an official match in six months, she felt the win against Mirza was exactly the type she needed to build confidence for the next fortnight.

"I think it is the kind of match I need, exactly, to be into the tournament like I want to be," Henin said.

"I know it can go very quickly at this level. I need matches. I need rhythm. I need to fight like tonight, not only for the tournament, but also for the future."