KEY POINTS:
New Zealander Marina Erakovic's miserable run of first-round exits continued in Seoul today when she crashed 2-6 0-6 to Australian Samantha Stosur in the Korea Open.
World No 53 Erakovic was listless throughout a one-sided match that lasted less than an hour against a player ranked 20 places below her.
It was her sixth successive singles loss in a first round match, a slump that is spoiling a year that saw her ranking climb as high as 49th.
Erakovic was hoping a month-long break from tennis since her opening-round US Open defeat would hold her in good stead but she was barely in the contest today.
She struggled with her serve in particular, an area of her game that has improved considerably this year.
A 46 per cent first serve success rate was well below her best while she managed just one ace to Stosur's seven. The Australian was particular severe on the Erakovic second serve.
Croatian-born Aucklander Erakovic recently said her goal was to end the year ranked in the world top 50.
She has qualified for three grand slam events this year - the the French Open, where she reached the second round, Wimbledon, where she reached the third round, and the US Open.
She also became the first New Zealand woman since Belinda Cordwell in 1988 to play in an Olympics.
Her only highlight since came in the doubles at the US Open, where she and Croatian partner Jelena Kostanic Tosic reached the last eight.
- NZPA