DUBAI, 20 February 2004 — Jelena Dokic made an ignominious exit from the Dubai Open on Tuesday after slumping to a 6-1, 6-2 first round defeat by Petra Mandula. It took the Hungarian just 48 minutes to dismiss the number six seed from Serbia and Montenegro who produced a careless and mediocre performance.

“I think people would expect much more from me. I don’t think there was a rally of more than three balls from my side,” she said. “She played really well and I played really bad, and that’s what happens.”

Dokic’s serve was often ineffective, allowing Mandula to hit a succession of stinging returns, while her groundstrokes were unpredictable and at times she could hardly put a ball in court.

Dokic dropped her opening service game to love, and held serve for the only time in the match in the third game.

After Mandula broke again to lead 4-1 and for the set, five consecutive breaks of serve in the second set left the Hungarian leading 4-2, before Dokic rounded off her miserable display by claiming just four points in the final three games.

“It is disappointing because I started the year so well (reaching the semifinals in Tokyo),” added Dokic. “I had tough matches and even if I didn’t play well I got through. I have to work very hard mentally and tennis-wise now. I just need some more matches to get some more confidence, and hopefully I won’t have matches like this.”

Fifth seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan had no problems against Russia’s Lina Krasnoroutskaya, taking 50 minutes to win 6-2, 6-3. Spaniard Conchita Martinez, seeded eight, also advanced comfortably with a 6-3, 6-2 success over qualifier Mervana Jugic-Salkic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, Henin-Hardenne has declared herself fit for the Dubai Open after bronchitis forced her to withdraw from the Antwerp last week. “I’m feeling better,” said the top seed and last year’s winner, who launches the defense of her title against Tunisia’s Selima Sfar today.

The French, US and Australian Open champion came under fire after pulling out of last week’s event in her native Belgium, which was eventually won by compatriot and world No. 2 Kim Clijsters.

“It’s not easy when you can’t play, as I couldn’t last week, because I love my job so much,” she told reporters. “Especially not being able to play in Belgium. Not everyone understood the situation, but I wasn’t in good enough shape to play.

“That was tough. For two weeks it was hard for me, but the weather here helps me a lot. I only play if I’m 100 percent, but I’m getting better and better and I hope I’ll be at my best in a few days.”

“My biggest motivation is winning every match I have to play. That helped me last year to become No. 1, and I’m not going to change my way of thinking about that. This year it’s going to be the same attitude, to just try and work hard and win a lot of matches and everything will follow.”

Australia’s Tormenter Bjorkman off to a Flyer in Marseille

In Marseille, France, Swede Jonas Bjorkman repeated the form which helped knock holders Australia out of the Davis Cup earlier this month when he defeated Raemon Sluiter in the first round of the 600,000 tournament here on Monday.

Bjorkman, who beat Mark Philippoussis to clinch Sweden’s first round win in Adelaide, made quick work of the Dutchman, winning 7-5, 6-3.

Asked if he could follow Joachim Johansson’s victory at the weekend in Memphis with another title for Sweden, the experienced Bjorkman said: “Everybody was saying that I was the last Swede to win an ATP tournament so it’s great to have another title.

Belgium’s Olivier Rochus rallied to beat Karol Beck 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, to win his first match of the season.