The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships saw a wave of surprises on the second day of the first round, as several players who shined at the Qatar Open struggled to replicate their success and made early exits.
Jelena Ostapenko, a semifinalist in Doha, suffered a stunning defeat against Japan’s Mai Uchijima, falling 3-6, 3-6 in straight sets. Amanda Anisimova, who impressed in Qatar by winning the WTA1000 final, was outplayed by fellow American McCartney Kessler, losing 2-6, 3-6.
Ons Jabeur, a crowd favorite and a strong performer last week, couldn’t overcome Peyton Stearns, falling in a tight battle 6-7, 4-6. Daria Kasatkina, who also had a deep run in Doha, was eliminated by Sorana Cirstea in a surprisingly one-sided match, 1-6, 4-6. Meanwhile, Ekaterina Alexandrova, who reached the Qatar Open semifinals, was knocked out by Veronika Kudermetova despite winning the first set, ultimately losing 6-3, 4-6, 3-6.
Among the winners, Mirra Andreeva, Marta Kostyuk, and Clara Tauson all advanced in convincing fashion, while Victoria Azarenka had to battle past Anhelina Kalinina in three sets. Diana Shnaider and Eva Lys also secured their spots in the next round.
With so many in-form names already out, the Dubai tournament is shaping up to be unpredictable, setting the stage for new contenders to step up.
Especially the players who had a bye in this first round are ready to take over, such as Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Cori Gauff, Emma Navarro, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, Qinwen Zheng, and Iga Swiatek.