Eala, Fernandes and Belek have qualified for the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Tennis Championships
DUBAI, 16TH FEBRUARY/WAM/ The Women’s Week competitions at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, within the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 points tournament, kicked off yesterday, amidst a large crowd in the main court of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, and both the Filipino Alexandra Ayala and the Canadian Laila Fernandez qualified to the second round.
Alexandra Eala, ranked 40th in the world, was able to reach the second round after beating American Hailey Baptiste, ranked 39th in the world, 6-4, before the latter withdrew due to injury.
Earlier, Laila Fernandez, ranked 27th in the world, achieved an important victory over Russian Lyudmila Samsonova, ranked 17th in the world, in two sets to one, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, in a match that lasted nearly three hours, and Fernandez decided it with a strong performance in the third set.
Czech Sara Bielik, ranked 38th in the world, also qualified for the second round after defeating Turkish Zeynep Sonmez in two unanswered sets, 6-2, 6-2.
Monday’s matches are scheduled to witness a confrontation between British Emma Raducano and Italian Elisabetta Coccarito in the first round on Court No. 2.
The 26th edition of the Women’s Tennis Association Championship, held from February 15 to 21, will witness the participation of 16 of the top 20 players in the world and 33 of the top 40 players.
The women’s competition will be followed by the men’s 500 points championship during the period from February 23 to 28.
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