Poor start leads to Sharapova's early exit

~ Serena Williams easily advanced to the third round.

WIMBLEDON, England -- Give Maria Sharapova credit for honesty.

Before Wimbledon began, she acknowledged that a recent comeback from shoulder surgery made it too much to ask for her to contend seriously for a second title at the All England Club.

Sharapova was right. She didn't even make it out of the second round.

Playing poorly at the start and finish Wednesday, the 2004 Wimbledon champion lost 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to 45th-ranked Gisela Dulko of Argentina.

Maria Sharapova of Russia returns to Gisela Dulko of Argentina, during their women's singles, second round match on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Dulko pulled off a surprise win over Sharapove.(AP Photo/Sang Tan)

"Losses are tough -- more here than at any other tournament," said Sharapova, who double-faulted seven times in the final set. "I would have liked to have a longer season before coming here."

With easy victories for past champions Serena Williams and Roger Federer, Sharapova's early exit counted as the most surprising development on Day 3 at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament -- unless you count the weather.

The temperature was in the 70s, the sky was bright blue, the clouds were scarce and, for the third day in a row, not a single drop of rain fell. The only use the All England Club is making of Centre Court's fancy, new retractable roof is shifting it slightly to provide some shade for those seated in the Royal Box.

"It's good that it gets a little bit of a workout," club spokesman Johnny Perkins said.

Sharapova's opponent worried about being overwhelmed by the setting: Dulko's only previous visit to Centre Court was when she sat in the stands to watch a match.

This time, Dulko was wielding a racket and trying to beat someone who not only has been ranked No. 1 and owns three major championships, but also won their two previous meetings by scores of 6-0, 6-1, then 6-1, 6-1.

Dulko, meanwhile, only once has been to the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament.

So who would have expected Sharapova to be the wobbly one?

Dulko claimed nine of the first 11 games, changing speeds effectively while Sharapova's errors piled up.

"It took me a while to get going. It's a little too late to start picking yourself up when you're down a set and 3-love," said Sharapova, who had an operation on her right shoulder in October and was off the tour for nine-plus months.

That absence dropped her out of the top 100, but by going 10-3 before Wimbledon -- including 6-0 in three-set matches -- Sharapova climbed to 60th and was seeded 24th based on past success at the tournament. But she was tentative on some shots, just plain off-kilter on others, flubbing some sitters and simple volleys.

"I don't really know if that's because I haven't played," Sharapova said. "When I've had those situations before, those balls would be pieces of cake."

Still, Sharapova did win seven games in a row to take the second set and go ahead in the third.

"She's a fighter," Dulko said.

One player who might benefit from Sharapova's loss is Williams, the 2002-03 Wimbledon champion, who could have faced the Russian in the quarterfinals. Williams moved into the third round by beating Jarmila Groth 6-2, 6-1.