Iga Swiatek wins opening match at Dubai Championships, Aryna Sabalenka suffers shock loss to Donna Vekic
:focal(155x161:157x159)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2023/11/24/3831132-77855584-310-310.jpg)
Updated 20/02/2024 at 21:16 GMT
Iga Swiatek won her opening match at the Dubai Tennis Championships against Sloane Stephens, triumphing 6-4 6-4. But there was a shock defeat for Aryna Sabalenka in her first appearance since winning the 2024 Australian Open. She was defeated over three sets by Donna Vekic, who has triumphed in six of the last eight encounters between the pair.
'It'd be surprising if she didn't win at least 2, 3, 4 more' - McEnroe on Sabalenka
Iga Swiatek marked her first appearance since earning a third successive title at the Qatar Open last week with victory over Sloane Stephens at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The world No. 1 was back in action just days after defeating Elena Rybakina in the final in Doha, as she got past Stephens 6-4 6-4 in her first match at Dubai.
Stephens appeared up for the challenge on centre court, leading Swiatek by a break on three occasions in the first set.
But she faded out as the set went on, and Swiatek was able to win three games in a row to secure the advantage heading into the second set.
Swiatek looked more confident from then on, hitting multiple backhand winners as she applied pressure to Stephens’s serve.
The American again lost momentum as the set went on, and Swiatek took the victory with an impressive forehand winner on match point.
Swiatek will now play Elina Svitolina, who eased past Tatjana Maria 6-3 6-3 in her round of 32 match in Dubai.
Elsewhere, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka was defeated on her first appearance since winning last month’s Grand Slam.
Donna Vekic came from a set and a break down to triumph 6-7(5) 6-3 6-0 in a two hour and 22 minute encounter.
The world No. 31 gained confidence as the match went on against Sabalenka, who remained as the world No. 2 after her Australian Open win.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/02/20/3890622-79045368-2560-1440.jpg)
Aryna Sabalenka reacts while playing against Donna Vekic of Croatia in their second round women's singles match during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Image credit: Getty Images
Vekic landed 14 aces, and claimed 12 of the last 13 games of the match to secure the victory.
It was Vekic’s sixth win in eight encounters against Sabalenka, and the eighth top-five triumph of her career.
Waiting in the next round is Sorana Cirstea, who got past Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-4.
Sabalenka was dismissive of her performance in her post-match interview, lamenting the conditions in Dubai.
"I feel like the conditions here don't fit me well at all," she explained. "It's really tricky for me to compete here in Dubai. A really tricky court for me.
"I would say that the whole match I was leading, I was winning. I won the first set. I was up with a break. I didn't feel like I was up. The level was so bad today from me."
Rybakina avoided a similar fate as Sabalenka in her opening encounter in Dubai, progressing through to the next round after her opponent Victoria Azarenka withdrew.
Azarenka won the first set 6-4, but started to struggle with an injury and pulled out of the match after losing the second set 6-2.
Rybakina’s next opponent is Magdalena Fręch, who took three sets to beat Petra Martic 6-4 1-6 6-2.
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is set to play Liudmila Samsonova after getting past Peyton Stearns 6-1 5-7 6-2.
Samsonova, who has been playing at the tournament since the round of 64, defeated Viktoriya Tomova 7-6(2) 6-3 in her first match, and was given a walkover against Russian compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her second.
- - -
Stream top tennis action, including the 2024 French Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement