US Open champion Sam Stosur fails to get beyond the second round of the Brisbane International.

Czech Iveta Benesova cut Stosur down to size with a 6-4 6-2 win in just 70 minutes on Pat Rafter Arena on Wednesday. In all three attempts at the Brisbane International, Stosur has never advanced past the second round and from the outset it was obvious the world No.6 would struggle again. In the opening game of the match, Stosur lost the first three points before rallying to win the service game. But she was far from convincing and in many ways her form resembled the way she played 12 months ago when she was also the top seed and a second-round casualty to compatriot Jarmila Gajdosova.

Benesova, ranked 54th in the world, had lost all four previous matches against Stosur and in fact had never won a set. She broke serve in the seventh game of the first set, then again in first and seventh games of the second set. Stosur, playing her first tournament on home soil since winning the US Open last September, never got into full rhythm and had 20 unforced errors to Benesova’s 12.

The upset win pits Benesova against reigning Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters, while denying the tournament a heavyweight thriller. It was the second upset for the day with seventh seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova losing to Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-0 6-3.

“I didn’t really feel like a top-five player” says JJ a she loses in the 2nd round.

Jelena Jankovic of Serbia lost her second-round matchup with qualifier Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (3), 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Jankovic has played only four matches in three tournaments this month after missing two weeks with an ankle injury she says is completely recovered.

“I didn’t really feel like a top-five player out there,” said Jankovic, who has never won the Rogers Cup. “My game hasn’t been at the top level for the last couple of tournaments.”

The U.S. Open is the only Grand Slam where Jankovic has reached the final, losing to Serena Williams in 2008.

Jankovic is hoping she can find her game in the short time that remains before the start of the final Grand Slam of the year on Aug. 30.

“I really wanted to play matches here, and at the last tournament, but I didn’t do that and now I haven’t played many matches before the U.S. Open,” Jankovic said. “So I’ll just try my best over there, and hopefully I’ll be better.”

Benesova, ranked No. 75 in the world, won her sixth match in the past five days, winning three on the weekend in qualifying plus her first-round singles and doubles matches on Monday.

“I think it was good for me because I haven’t had a very good season this year,” said Benesova, who improved her 2010 singles record to 17-18. “It was good for my confidence.”

Benesova wins her 2nd WTA title in Fes.

Iveta Benesova beat tour newcomer Simona Halep 6-4, 6-2 in Saturday’s final at the $220,000 Moroccan Grand Prix tennis tournament.

The 27-year-old Benesova captured her second career title (2-6) and first since winning in Acapulco six years ago.

Benesova, who earned $37,000 with the win, avenged a straight-set loss, on clay, to the 18-year-old Romanian qualifier in Marbella, Spain, just three weeks ago.

“I played Simona in Marbella and knew what to expect, and wanted a little revenge,” said Benesova. “I just tried to play my game, be aggressive and make her move, because she had a lot of matches this week too.”

Halep was appearing in her first-ever WTA Tour final.

Fes, which is the only WTA stop in Africa, serves as a tune-up for the French Open, which will commence May 23 in Paris.