Andy Potts

Wimbledon hopeful Maria Sharapova crashed out in the second round on Wednesday, leaving compatriots Svetlana Kuznetsova, Yelena Dementieva and Dinara Safina to fly Russia's flag in the third Grand Slam event of the season.

Sharapova, only recently back from a long-term shoulder injury, went down in three sets to Argentina's Gisela Dulko, and admitted a slow start cost her.

"It's a little bit too late to come back when you're down a set and 0-3," she said at the post-match press conference. "I had so many easy balls, and I just made unforced errors from those. I don't really know if that's because I haven't played. You know, when I've had those situations before, those balls would be pieces of cake, and today they weren't."

Sharapova, who won the tournament in 2004, admitted that losing at Wimbledon was "tougher than at any other tournament", but remained philosophical in defeat.

"I have many more years ahead of me," she added. "It's just unfortunate, the timing of my comeback and this only being the fourth tournament. I would have liked to have a longer season before coming here, but that's just the way it is."

Meanwhile Kuznetsova, the fifth seed, overwhelmed France's Pauline Parmenter 6-1 6-3 on Thursday afternoon as she bids to follow up her Roland Garros success with a second major title.

World No. 1 Safina was to face Rosanna de los Rios of Paraguay late on Thursday, while fourth seed Dementieva plays Regina Kulikova on Friday in the third round and Vera Zvonareva (7) takes on France's Virginie Razzano.

In the men's event Marat Safin crashed out in the first round against outsider Jesse Levine on Tuesday, but Igor Andreyev reached round three with a win over American Vince Spadea.