Champion Mauresmo stunned by Safarova

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo suffered a stunning 6-4 6-3 defeat by unseeded Czech Lucie Safarova in the Australian Open fourth round on Sunday.

The French second seed imploded after taking a 4-1 first-set lead, losing seven straight games before the 19-year-old Safarova completed victory in 89 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Despite taking the early initiative, Mauresmo looked ill at ease as the left-handed Safarova sprayed forehands to acute angles, and the Frenchwoman's movements looked labored as she was worked along the baseline.

Sensing Mauresmo's discomfort, Safarova pounced.

She broke back to trail 3-4 and again to take a 5-4 advantage before a lame netted volley from the Wimbledon champion handed the Czech the first set in 45 minutes.

Safarova extended her streak to seven games in a row to go 2-0 up in the second before Mauresmo finally stopped the rot by holding serve, but a long forehand from the champion gave the Czech a double break at 4-1.

Mauresmo briefly threatened a revival by breaking back to reduce the deficit to 4-2 but Safarova held her nerve, winning on her third match point when a French backhand found the net.

"I'm very happy, it's incredible," Safarova said in a courtside interview.

"It's my first time on Rod Laver Arena, I was warming up and I was saying, look what a big court. But I was really comfortable and the crowd were great."

Mauresmo won her long-awaited first grand slam title at Melbourne Park 12 months ago. It was the first time in her last five Australian Open campaigns that Mauresmo had failed to reach the quarter-finals of the year's first grand slam.

Safarova, who had already surpassed her best performance in a grand slam by reaching round three, will play either fellow Czech Nicole Vaidisova, seeded 10, or Russian seventh seed Elena Dementieva for a place in the semi-finals.