WIMBLEDON, England - Give Maria Sharapova credit for honesty.

Before Wimbledon began, she acknowledged that a recent comeback from shoulder surgery made her unlikely to seriously contend at the All England Club.

Playing poorly at the start and finish yesterday, the 2004 Wimbledon champion lost, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, to 45th-ranked Gisela Dulko of Argentina.

"Losses are tough - more here than at any other tournament," said Sharapova, who double-faulted seven times in the final set. "I would have liked to have a longer season before coming here."

With easy victories for past champions Serena Williams and Roger Federer, Sharapova's early exit counted as the most surprising development on Day 3 at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament - unless, that is, you count the weather. The temperature was in the 70s and the sky was blue for the third day in a row.

The only use the All England Club is making of Centre Court's new retractable roof is shifting it slightly to provide some shade for the Royal Box.

One player who might benefit from Sharapova's loss is Serena Williams, the 2002-03 Wimbledon champion, who could have faced the Russian in the quarterfinals. Williams beat Jarmila Groth, 6-2, 6-1.

Eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka routed Ioana Raluca Olaru, 6-0, 6-0.

No. 18 Rainer Schuettler, was the only seeded man to lose, eliminated by Dudi Sela of Israel, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2.

Three U.S. men lost - Taylor Dent, who double-faulted 21 times; Sam Querrey, who lost a five-setter to No. 11 Marin Cilic of Croatia on Centre Court; and Vince Spadea.

Federer beat 42d-ranked Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

Yesterday's Results

Seedings in parentheses.

MEN'S SINGLES

First round

Daniel Gimeno-Traver, Spain, def. Taylor Dent, United States, 7-5, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

Second round

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (9), France, def. Simone Bolelli, Italy, walkover.

Mardy Fish (28), United States, def. Janko Tipsarevic, Serbia, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Dudi Sela, Israel, def. Rainer Schuettler (18), Germany, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2.

Tommy Robredo (15), Spain, def. Stefan Koubek, Austria, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-1.