JOIN USThe third-seeded Russian, who has missed most of the year's action with a back injury that she says has not yet completely healed, got off to a sluggish start on clay made heavy by rain, going 4-0 down.
Safina, who had a bye to the second round along with the other top seeds, pulled level at 4-4 only to surrender the initiative immediately, skewing an easy volley wide to lose serve on the way to conceding the first set. She eventually claimed a topsy-turvy second set on a tiebreak before crumbling in the decider.
World number one Serena Williams will make her return to action against Swiss Timea Bacsinszky. Venus Williams, also back from an injury layoff at the warm-up tournament for the French Open, cruised into the third round, beating another Swiss player, Patty Schnyder, 6-2, 6-2.
Twice champion Jelena Jankovic of Serbia needed three sets to overcome American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.