World number two Venus Williams was playing her first match in Moscow since 1997 after getting a bye into the second round.

"I didn't play for a few weeks and I'm really tired," the American said. "She played really well at the right points and I made a lot of mistakes. I wasn't my best playing against her. It was really difficult." Williams fired 13 aces but also committed eight double faults and 45 unforced errors in a 98-minute match.

Williams had easily won the last match up 6-0, 6-3 in Melbourne, but Maleeva said she was confident going into the match. "Statistics are not that important, but I knew I could beat her," said the 23rd-ranked Bulgarian. "I knew I have a chance against her if I played well," she added. "I also knew that she didn't play for some time and that the first match is always difficult."

After winning the first set 6-2, Williams's powerful service game just fell apart as the American was broken twice to lose the second set 6-1 after only 23 minutes. In the third, Williams lost her serve again in the third game, but got the break back in the sixth as the two went into a tie-breaker with Maleeva prevailing 7-3. "Yes, she made a lot of mistakes in the second set but I think we both played well in the third," said the Bulgarian. "I think it was really good tennis in the third set."