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Aryna Sabalenka’s first appearance since winning the Australian Open ended in defeat by Croatia’s Donna Vekic at the Dubai Tennis Championships.<\/b><\/p>\n
Sabalenka lost 12 of the last 13 games as Croatia’s Vekic won 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-0 in their second-round match.<\/p>\n
“The level was so bad from me,” said the Belarusian second seed.<\/p>\n
World number one Iga Swiatek, who took the Doha title last week, won 6-4 6-4 against Sloane Stephens, while third seed Coco Gauff also progressed.<\/p>\n
Gauff, who turns 20 next month, won 6-1 7-5 against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, but it was far from straightforward to close out for the US Open champion.<\/p>\n
With service games proving difficult for both players, Gauff was unable to see out victory at 5-4 but instantly broke back for 6-5 and ended a run of six successive breaks to take her second opportunity.<\/p>\n
Gauff will face in-form Czech Karolina Pliskova in the last 16, while Swiatek meets Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina with the chance to avenge a defeat in the Wimbledon quarter-finals<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n The top eight seeds received first-round byes in Dubai, meaning 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was among the host of WTA stars playing their opening match on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Rybakina, who won a title in Abu Dhabi before finishing runner-up to Swiatek in Doha, dropped the first set against Victoria Azarenka but won the second before the Belarusian had to quit through injury.<\/p>\n The Kazakh fourth seed plays Poland’s Magdalena Frech next, while Vekic’s reward is a meeting with Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n