17 January 2017 | Tennis Queensland

Sam Stosur has fallen in the first round of the Australian Open 2017, beaten by Britain’s Heather Watson in three sets.

The 18th seed lost the first set 6-3, came back to take the second 6-3, but lost her way in the third, going down 6-0.

It’s been a forgettable start to the season for Stosur, with the 32-year-old failing to make it past the first round of both the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, and the APIA Sydney International.

Stosur has often battled with the weight of expectation that comes from playing in Australia, and usually posts her best results on clay during the French season.

Fellow Queenslander and wildcard Lizette Cabrera also lost today to 19-year-old Donna Vekic (CRO) 7-5 6-2. Vekic sits nearly 100 spots higher than Cabrera in the world rankings, and is the girlfriend of World No.3 Stan Wawrinka.

Meanwhile, Bernard Tomic progressed easily to the second round of the Aussie Open yesterday, admitting he played at 70-percent effort in his straight sets win over Thomaz Bellucci (BRA), with Ash Barty also progressing to round two.