Defending champion Venus Williams eased into the third round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Germany’s Sabine Lisicki.
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki had to recover from 1-5 and save a set-point to defeat Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 7-6 (7/2), while second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova received a walkover when Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues withdrew with a back injury.
Israel’s Shahar Peer lined up a meeting with Denmark’s Wozniacki with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 win over last year’s runner-up Virginie Razzano of France.
PHOTO: AFP
Williams needed to be patient against an opponent who struck several spectacular winners, but failed to find consistency in the face of some strong serving and baseline play from the third-seeded American.
Williams broke for 4-2 after Lisicki struck two double-faults and then netted a forehand. Another break at 5-2 sealed the set, but Williams faced more of a challenge in the second as Lisicki held a break point at 0-0 and three more at 2-2. Williams once again broke to lead 4-2 with a forehand winner and although Lisicki hit a winning return in the next game to recover the break, she then netted a backhand on break point to give Williams a 5-3 lead.
Russian Vera Zvonareva thrashed Belgian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens 6-0, 6-0. In contrast, sixth-seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic struggled before overcoming Aravane Rezai of France 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 and Chinese eighth seed Li Na was stretched before winning six of the last seven games of the match to overcome Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 7-6 (9/7), 2-6, 6-4.
Fifth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva was forced to retire against Daniela Hantuchova because of a shoulder injury with the Slovak leading 6-4, 1-1.
■BUENOS AIRES OPEN
REUTERS, BUENOS AIRES
Former world No. 3 David Nalbandian made a winning return to the circuit from hip surgery when he beat Italian Potito Starace 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) in the first round of the Buenos Aires Open on Tuesday.
The 2002 Wimbledon finalist celebrated after his first competitive match in nine months as if he had won a final. He said the victory was a weight off his shoulders and answered his own questions as to how he would cope.
Second seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, fresh from winning the Brazil Open on Sunday, crushed Ricardo Mello of Brazil 6-1, 6-2.
Another local favorite, Juan Ignacio Chela, also cheered the home fans with a 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 win over Richard Gasquet.
Spaniard Carlos Moya, a winner in Buenos Aires in 2003 and 2006, beat Italian qualifier Filippo Volandri 6-2, 7-5.
■MEMPHIS ATP-WTA
AFP, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
France’s Jeremy Chardy shocked second-seeded Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 on Tuesday in the first round of the ATP Tour’s Memphis stop.
Chardy needed just 1 hour, 15 minutes to dispatch the Spaniard, who had rallied to beat Andy Roddick in the final at San Jose, California, on Sunday.
Chardy, ranked 41st in the world, fell behind in the first-set tie-breaker, but rallied, then earned a break en route to a 5-2 lead in the second set.
Verdasco fended off a match point against his serve at 5-2, but couldn’t hold off Chardy in the next game as the Frenchman advanced to a second-round meeting with Lukas Lacko.
In the women’s tournament, second-seeded Melanie Oudin defeated Alexa Glatch of the US 6-2, 6-2. Karolina Sprem upset fourth-seeded Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 6-4.
■ATP OPEN 13
AFP, MARSEILLE, FRANCE
France’s Gilles Simon failed to make a winning return after being out with a knee injury since November on Tuesday as he was beaten 7-5, 6-2 by Belgian journeyman Olivier Rochus in the first round of the ATP Open 13. The 25-year-old looked to be short of match-fitness and Rochus played a perfect, almost error-free match, staying back and serving effectively.
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