DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka put away Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-Four and arrange a second-round matchup with Elena Rybakina on the Dubai Championships on Monday.

The prime 4 ladies — Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Rybakina — are reunited for the primary time for the reason that Australian Open. All of them obtained first-round byes and can play on Tuesday.

No. 1-ranked Swiatek overcame Rybakina within the Doha remaining on Saturday. The Doha-Dubai title double was final achieved in 2007 by Justine Henin. Swiatek misplaced within the remaining final yr. She begins towards former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens.

No. 2 Sabalenka ends a three-week layoff since profitable her second straight Australian Open. She faces Donna Vekic however has by no means handed the Dubai quarterfinals.

No. 3 Gauff has Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy, and No. 4 Rybakina performs Azarenka. She has a 2-Zero document towards Azarenka.

Former champions Elena Svitolina and No. 9-seeded Jelena Ostapenko gained.

Svitolina, the winner in 2017 and 2018, defeated fellow Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina 6-3, 7-6 (7).

Ostapenko defied 11 aces from Wang Xiyu of China to prevail 5-7, 6-2, 6-Three in two hours. The 2022 champion has gained in Adelaide and Linz already this yr.

Also in kind is Karolina Pliskova, a former finalist. The Czech gained in Cluj-Napoca two weeks in the past and reached the Doha semifinals final week. Pliskova defeated Zhang Shuai of China 6-3, 7-5.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)