Sania Mirza in Bangalore on Monday. ( AFP)

Bangalore: Fifth-seeded Aiko Nakamura of Japan crashed out of the $175,000 Bangalore Open on Monday, losing 6-0, 3-6, 3-6 to Ukraine’s Mariya Koryttseva in the first round.

India’s Rushmi Chakravarthi, a wild card entrant, also bowed out, losing to Melinda Czink of Hungary 1-6, 2-6.

After a whirlwind first set, 22-year-old Nakamura ? world No. 66 ? lost steam in the next two as her opponent raised her game on her way to an upset victory in the opening day of the WTA Tier III event at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association courts.

Twenty-year-old Koryttseva, currently ranked 125 in the world, will now meet Czink.

In another first round match, 21-year old Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine beat her younger sister Keteryna 6-4, 7-5.

“It’s tough playing a sister,” said Alona, the finalist at the Hyderabad Open last year where she lost to Sania Mirza. “I just played without seeing my sister. I tried my best,” she added.

Nakamura, with her double-handed returns, started on a positive note, but the 20-year-old Koryttseva gained in confidence gradually to put it across her fancied rival.

France’s Camille Pin also booked a second round berth.

The world No. 110 whipped Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia 6-4, 6-0 and will now meet the winner of the match between Sania and Martina Muller of Germany.

Seeded second to meet Sania in the final, should both get that far, is Israel’s Shahar Peer, winner of last week’s Tier IV event in Pattaya, which was the 18-year-old’s debut tour singles title.

Peer has jumped nine places to be world number 36 ? ahead of Sania ? in the latest WTA rankings list.

Australia’s Nicole Pratt caused the second upset of the day, eliminating seventh seed and 19-year-old Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-3, 6-4 in a late evening encounter and moved into the round of 16.

The 32-year-old Pratt, ranked 127 in the world, put Vesnina under pressure and notched a well-deserving win.