Former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina overcame a spirited fight from China's Zheng Jie 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-1 in the first round of the Dubai Women's Open on Monday.
Sixth-seeded Myskina committed nine double faults in a searching 2-hour, 17-minute exam by Zheng, who was still seeking her first win of the season. Myskina appeared after reaching the indoor semifinals at Tokyo and a two-week rest.
"She is a fine player, and I am really happy to get a tough opening match in the tournament," Myskina said.
"I needed time to adjust to the change playing indoors in freezing conditions in Tokyo to outdoors here. I figured out her game and the third set went according to my plans," she said.
The Russian has got as far as the quarterfinals in all four previous appearances in Dubai, but she'll face a tough second-round match against either wild card and 2001 champ Martina Hingis or Indian star Sania Mirza.
Myskina advanced with two other Russians, Elena Likhovtseva and Vera Dushevina, and eighth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova.
Likhovtseva defeated last year's runner-up Jelena Jankovic of Serbia-Montenegro 7-5, 7-5.
"Jelena was not playing as well as she played last year," Likhovtseva said. "She made a lot of unforced errors and I am happy the match did not go into a third set."
She will play defending champion and second-seeded Lindsay Davenport, who will be playing her second event of the year after a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open.
"I am looking forward to the Davenport match. It will be tough, but I know she is playing after some time off because of an ankle injury and that should give me some advantage," Likhovtseva said.
Dushevina was a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 winner over Marion Bartoli of France for a fifth straight time, and moves on to meet third-seeded compatriot Maria Sharapova.
Hantuchova scraped through an error-strewn win over China's Li Na 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic beat Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-2, 6-3. Safarova also beat Sugiyama last month en route to winning the Australian Women's Hardcourt title.
Beside Davenport and Sharapova, the others to receive first-round byes were both former Dubai champions; top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, Sunday's winner of the Diamond Games in Belgium, and winner of five of her last six tournaments; and fourth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne, the Australian Open finalist who retired with a stomach illness.
New tournament favorite Nikolay Davydenko almost became the 14th player to withdraw from the ABN Amro while beating Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round on Monday.
Davydenko needed a trainer to attend to his left foot during the second set. He played through the discomfort, and set up a second-round match with Britain's Greg Rusedski, who also defeated a Czech, Robin Vik, 6-3, 7-5.
"I feel some pain in my foot but I am ready to face Rusedski," Davydenko said. "Despite being top-seeded here, I am not under pressure at all."
The Russian is the second seed but highest remaining after top-seeded Rafael Nadal withdrew because of a thigh injury he sustained in last week's semifinals at Marseille. The tournament has been ravaged by withdrawals; Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis injured his groin during practice in Rotterdam, and the list includes defending champion Roger Federer and last year's runner-up Ivan Ljubicic.
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