An erratic Sania Mirza crashed out of the Bank of the West Classic after unheralded Russian Vasilisa Bardina decimated her in straight sets in the first round of the 600,000 dollar WTA Tier II hardcourt event in Stanford.
Playing in the surface of her choice, Sania was never in the game and the Russian hardly broke a sweat as she thrashed her Indian opponent 6-3, 6-2.
In the final match of the day, Sania, world ranked 42nd, was expected to have a cakewalk against the 98th ranked Russian but the Indian was a pale shadow of her usual self as she surrendered without a fight.
After losing the first set to the Russian blonde, Sania further let it go and the second set proved a completely lop-sided affair with the Russian romping home with consummate ease.
Bardina now takes on Anna-Lena Groenefeld after the German received a bye in the first round.
Sania, who will team up with American Bethanie Mattek in the doubles, takes on the Russian-Ukrainian pair of Alla Kudryavtseva and Tetiana Luzhanska in the first round.
And Sania may well run into her Fed Cup teammate Shikha Uberoi and the latter's Serbian teammate Jelena Jankovic in the second round.
Earlier, US-based Shikha and Jankovic got the better of Slovak Daniela Hantuchova and her Japanese teammate Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 6-4 to sail into the second round of the doubles event.