Tuesday nights bring doom for the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ contestants, because one has to turn in their sequins and watch the rest of the competition from home (or at least from a chair in the audience). Who was this season’s first casualty?

After an obligatory filler routine by the ‘DWTS’ pros, hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet (who looked like she was wearing the stripper version of a candystriper uniform) introduced themselves and showed us some backstage/behind-the-scenes clips from Monday night’s performance show.

These are often fun because we get to hear what the dancers said to each other during their routines and immediately afterward. But watching a dejected Martina Navratilova sitting with her head in her hands after her botched dance? Decidedly not fun. That woman is one of the most successful athletes in history, and seeing her beat herself up for missing a few dance steps on a reality show was downright painful.

The lowest-scoring women were called to the stage, leading to the announcement of the first two safe couples: Melissa and Maks, and Gladys and Tristan.

And the first couple in jeopardy of leaving was, as expected, Martina and Tony. She looked far more relaxed than on Monday, which was a bit of a relief.

Next, more filler as Sugarland performed, and then Brooke the Stripping Candystriper talked to the three couples who got the judges’ highest scores, including William and Cheryl. The women in the ballroom screamed at the mere mention of his name, and we got some shots of female audience members who are really too old to be swooning over a celebrity doing it anyway — something that we’re sure won’t be embarrassing for them during their morning carpools at all.

The next two safe couples: Jaleel and Kym, and William and Cheryl.

Which made for an interesting second couple in jeopardy: Roshon and Chelsie. Maybe all his Disney-watching fans weren’t allowed to stay up late enough to vote?

We then saw a montage of all the stars saying how much they didn’t want to be the first ones to go home and, right in the middle, there was Martina, telling us how she was sure it wouldn’t be her. Oh, ABC. Can we pass you the salt for that wound?

Brooke then chatted with the top-scoring women. We learned Maria has two broken ribs, but she claimed she’ll be fine because she’s Greek. Yikes. Usually people have a tough time breathing with injured ribs, let alone dancing with them. We’re not sure what being Greek has to do with pain-management, but maybe spanakopita has magical healing powers of which we are unaware.

Next three safe couples: Maria and Derek, Katherine and Mark, and Sherri and Val.

Sherri’s reaction? Picture someone covered in spiders who’s trying to shake them off while running from a knife-wielding maniac. Kinda like that.

More Sugarland, and then the next two safe couples: Donald and Peta, and Jack and Anna. So that meant Gavin and Karina were the third couple in jeopardy.

Roshon and Chelsie were sent to safety, leaving a bottom two of Gavin and Karina, and Martina and Tony. Our first elimination?

Martina and Tony.

Bummer. But when Gavin hugged her, he said something really classy: “It was an honor to meet you.” As for Martina herself, she took the ouster with her characteristic class and grace.

This show sure seems to hate tennis stars — during the sixth season of ‘DWTS,’ Monica Seles was eliminated first too. Woe be to the producers if they ever get John McEnroe on that stage.

See you next week.

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