BIRMINGHAM, England (AP)—Melanie Oudin's defense of her Aegon Classic title lasted only 57 minutes Monday, with the American losing 6-3, 6-1 to Croatian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round.
The 80th-ranked Oudin struggled in cold and windy conditions in central England, failing to handle the dominant serve of Tomljanovic. The Croat will play top-seeded Kirsten Flipkens.
Oudin beat Jelena Jankovic in straight sets in last year's final of the grass-court tournament, winning her only WTA title. The 21-year-old was a quarterfinalist at the 2009 U.S. Open but has struggled with her consistency since.
Eighth-seeded Maria Joao Koehler, No. 10 Hsieh Su-wei and No. 11 Ayumi Morita were also eliminated in the first round.