Brisbane, Australia (dpa) - The confidence of former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis took a minor hit on Monday as the Cypriot crashed out 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to Finn Jarkko Nieminen in the first round of the Brisbane International.

Nieminen preyed upon the injury-hit Baghdatis, who changed coaches in the off-season as he desperately tries to rescue his game.

Baghdatis, the 2006 Melbourne finalist against Roger Federer, admitted that he's not fully recovered from back and other injuries which compromised his 2008 season.

The number 98 needed the trainer after Nieminen roared back to take the second set. "Physically I wasn't fit," he admitted. "I'm not match fit.

"That's what I need to work on for the next 15 days before my next tournament. I'm hitting the ball well, but I've got to keep working."

Nieminen was pleased to start out so well. "I'm happy I could turn it around. I had some break points in the first set that I didn't use.

"But I played more aggressive in the second, moving much better. I'm happy with how I played and the fact that I won."

Baghdatis complained of tightness in his hamstring, a chronic problems last season. "I'm happy I played a very good first set," he said.

"But it was the first set of the year and for a long time so I have to be pretty happy with the way I was playing."

Czech Radek Stepanek, seeded eighth, had a no-stress outing as he thrashed Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-2.

In the women's draw three of four seeds stumbled, with number five Amelie Mauresmo, a former Australian Open winner, the lone early survivor.

The Frenchwoman fought off wild card Jelena Dokic 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-5) as the Serbian-Australian makes her return to the game after winning an Aussie Open wild card in a playoff last month.

But Sara Errani ambushed Slovak fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-0 while Olga Govortsova of Belarus ousted Italian number eight Francesca Schiavone
7-5, 6-2.

Australian Samantha Stosur got a welcome home win as she defeated Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama, the number nine, 6-2, 6-3. (dpa)