Top seed Ana Ivanovic felt the sting of an inspired underdog in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 second-round loss to unheralded Frenchwoman Julie Coin on a turbulent Thursday at the US Open.

Ivanovic put her world number one ranking in serious danger with her loss, the first time in the post-1968 modern era that the top woman at the event has gone out before the third round.

Ivanovic's fall duplicated the second-round exit of Billie Jean King to Australian Kerry Melville in 1966.

Ivanovic took it all in her stride. "When girls play against higher-ranked players, they have nothing to lose so they go for their shots," said the 20-year-old Roland Garros champion and Australian open runner-up to Maria Sharapova.

"Many times they play matches of their life. Not only in women's tennis. She managed to stay calm and to play the same until the end."

Ivanovic said that the thumb injury which sent her from a Beijing Olympic withdrawal to a doctor in Australia before arriving in New York, had nothing to do with her defeat.

"Today I didn't feel it (thumb). I'm just happy to be back on track without pain.

"Now all I have to do is put some hard yards on the court and go back out there and work hard."

The Serb will be driven to try and retain the top WTA ranking in the face of a chase from five others players. The results of the rest of the pack for the rest of the fortnight will determine the final outcome of the ranking struggle.

"I think I deserve that position," she said. "I won a Grand Slam and I was playing really well.

"Obviously I'm not playing like a number one now, probably not.

"But I can't judge that because I really haven't had chance to practice. This loss is just an incentive to work harder.

"I have the possibility to maintain number 1 for a long time and to win (another) Grand Slam. I was just a little unfortunate with injury, and I just have to go back on the court and keep working hard."

AFP

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