VENUS Williams had no excuses after crashing out of the Australian Open in the second round.

The American sixth seed was beaten 2-6 6-3 7-5 by Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, a player ranked 40 places below her.

Williams, who reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne last year, looked in complete control as she breezed through the first set.

But when Suarez Navarro got an early advantage in the second Williams was forced more and more on the defensive, something that does not come naturally to the hardhitting 28-year-old.

‘‘I wasn’t in control of the points. I definitely noticed that she kept getting the first shot. I was playing defence and I’m definitely used to dictating the points a little bit more. It was kind of a pattern that wasn’t the best for me,’’ Williams conceded.

‘‘I think she played some really good tennis. She was super consistent and aggressive and just went for her shots.

‘‘I think she just played really well. I think she took her opportunities and really showed a lot of character.’’ It was not the best day all round for the Williams siblings with Serena struggling to a 6-3 7-5 victory over Gisela Dulko, of Argentina.

Such was her frustration that the younger of the Williams sisters promptly took herself off to the practice courts.

‘‘Today I was at like a D minus at best,’’ she said.

‘‘That’s pretty far away (from my best form).

‘‘But it’s good that I was able to win, too, when I wasn’t playing my best. I definitely will try to do better.’’ Serena took heart from the fact she had battled hard against an opponent who had nothing to lose against the second seed, saying it would stand her in good stead for the later rounds.

She will play Peng Shuai in the third round after the Chinese woman defeated qualifier Sesil Karatantcheva 6-4 6- 0.

‘‘It definitely helps you to get match tough and be ready for the next person that’s, obviously going to take it to me as well,’’ Serena added.

‘‘I think it’s always good to know that, against me at least, these girls are bringing their A-game.’’ Amelie Mauresmo was another who was forced to work hard for her place in the next round.

The number 20 seed had to come from a set down against British qualifier Elena Baltacha for a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win.

Mauresmo will now meet 13th seed Victoria Azarenka, who had a free passage when her opponent, Tathiana Garbin, retired when trailing 4-1 in the first set.

Anabel Medina Garrigues and Flavia Pennetta both had straight-sets wins to set up their third-round meeting.