Nadal, Safina through as Sharapova crashes out

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MELBOURNE, Jan 18 (AFP): Former champion Maria Sharapova was a high profile casualty at the Australian Open on Monday but there were no dramas for Rafael Nadal and Dinara Safina who led the charge into the second round.
Britain's Andy Murray and American Andy Roddick also cruised through, as did comeback queens Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin on a day plagued by persistent rain delays with numerous matches unable to finish.
Sharapova was a shadow of her former self in a 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4 defeat to Maria Kirilenko.
Another of the Russian contingent, Safina, downed Slovakia's 47th- ranked Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 6-4, while third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova also progressed.
Safina battled double faults and unforced errors in an emotional and spasmodic performance and was happy to get the win.