Defending Champion Begins Title Defence

Reigning Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships champion Agnieszka Radwanska began the defense of her title on Wednesday with a 7-5 6-3 win over wild card Yulia Putintseva.

Putintseva offered third seeded Radwanska a decent challenge. She broke Radwanska’s serve three times, only for Radwanska to immediately break back on each occasion and then a fourth time for the set.

In the second set Radwanska was placed under further pressure and she had to fight off four break points to hold serve at 2-2, but Putintseva then double-faulted on break point at 5-3 and Radwanska served out for the match.

Radwanska was impressed with her opponent and said, “I don’t see much players mixing up everything like she was doing today. She can I think do everything on court, you know, spin and playing aggressive and slice and dropshot, pretty much everything. So, you know, it’s very nice to see some young player playing like that.

“But, well, even when I didn’t play my best tennis today, anyway, I was really fighting for every point and just happy especially about the first set that I could come back and then win that match in two sets.”

The 2011 champion also progressed as Caroline Wozniacki defeated Jie Zheng 6-0 6-1, with Wozniacki’s superior serving a major factor in her victory. Wozniacki didn’t face a break point and won all five break points she held in the 49-minute rout.

Nadia Petrova also claimed an easy victory as she took full advantage of top seed Victoria Azarenka withdrawing and defeated her replacement, Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-1 6-0. Petrova fired eight aces, won nearly two thirds of the points and gave up only 11 points on serve.

Among others in action later on Wednesday are world number one Serena Williams against Marion Bartoli, fifth seed Sara Errani playing Sorana Cirstea and former Grand Slam champions Petra Kvitova and Ana Ivanovic meeting in a thrilling second round clash.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which continues until 2nd March, is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Tickets for the event are on sale from the Box Office at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Garhoud which is open from 9am to 9pm daily. Grandstand ticket prices range from 50dhs for opening rounds to 450dhs for finals, with season tickets also available.

For further information about tickets, prices and the tournament phone the call centre on +971 4 4172415.

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Feb 20, 2013

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