The 21-year-old Bulgarian nicknamed ‘Baby Federer’ suffered a vastly different fate to the Russian starlet on the opening day of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

While the second-seeded Sharapova recorded a 6-0, 6-0 defeat of Olga Puchkova on Rod Laver Arena, Dimitrov was banished to Court 13 and flopped 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to veteran Frenchman Julien Benneteau.