World number five Mary Pierce became the highest-ranked player to be knocked out of the Australian Open when she suffered a 6-3, 7-5 second round loss to Iveta Benesova on Thursday.
Pierce, the fifth seed, joins women's and men's ninth seeds Elena Dementieva and Fernando Gonzalez and 10th-seeded woman Venus Williams as the highest-ranked players to make early exits at Melbourne Park.
It was Benesova's first victory over the 1995 Australian Open champion in three meetings.
The 22-year-old Czech showed great composure when she was forced to replay match point after a ball on the baseline had been called out but then over-ruled by the umpire. Television replays showed the ball had been in.
"This is definitely the best win in my whole career," Benesova told reporters. "It was the best match I ever played. I'm really happy."
Pierce, who made the French and US Open finals last year as she resurrected her flagging career, was phlegmatic.
"I think we all have a bad day sometimes," said Pierce.
"I haven't had a bad match since [last] March, probably April or May was my last bad match.
"If I only have a bad match every nine months, it's okay. I'm human. It happens."
EXPLOSIVE START
Benesova blew Pierce off the court in the first set, racing to a 5-0 lead before the Frenchwoman won three successive games.
Benesova, however, did not seem flustered. She relaxed and held her next service game to take the first set 6-3.
The world number 42 broke immediately in the second set, though Pierce was able to break back in the next game and again in the eighth to find herself serving for the set.
The 31-year-old held two set points but was unable to convert either to send the match into a decider, allowing Benesova to take her opportunity on her third break point when Pierce hit a backhand into the net to draw to 5-4.
Benesova held to even the match and easily broke again when Pierce hit a backhand long to give her the opportunity to serve for the match.
The Hobart finalist romped to a 40-15 lead but then was forced to replay match point after the baseline judge called the ball out, only for the umpire to over-rule that call.
Benesova calmly replayed the point and worked Pierce around the court before she sealed the win when she made a delicate backhand drop shot which the scrambling Pierce was unable to retrieve.
"It wasn't the best day for her today and she made many errors...But she gave me the chances, and I'm happy I could use them.
"It's really good for me to know that I can beat top players."
She now meets either former world number one Martina Hingis or Finland's Emma Laine in the next round.
"It would be an honour," Benesova said of a possible match with Hingis. "I admired her when she played.
"She is a great player. I liked her a lot on the court. I'm really excited about that, but she hasn't won yet so there is nothing to worry about yet."
