Organisers of the Australian Open promote their event as the Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific but after just four days the Asian challenge is all but over.

Of the 23 Asian players who entered the tournament only one, Japan's Aiko Nakamura, has survived past the second round.

Nakamura won her opening match against French wildcard Alize Cornet then upset Argentine 31st seed Gisela Dulko 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday to advance to a third round meeting with Patty Schnyder.

She had been one of 17 Asian women in the tournament. Nine were knocked out in the first round, including the region's top-ranked female Ai Sugiyama.

Seven fell at the second round including Indian teenager Sania Mirza, who had been seeded 32nd, leaving Nakamura to fly the flag alone.

Mirza made the third round at Melbourne Park last year having been given a special wildcard reserved for Asian players but tripped up in the second round this time when she lost 6-3 7-5 to Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands, half-sister of former men's Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek.

The seven Asian men who started the tournament fared no better. The only one to make it through to the second round was Taiwan's Wang Yeo-tzuoo who beat Mariano Zabaleta before losing to Jarkko Nieminen.