The reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka lost 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-0 in Dubai in the first round after suffering an upset against her old opponent Donna Vekic.
Aryna Sabalenka, lost 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-0 in the first round in Dubai on Tuesday to Donna Vekic, a familiar opponent. In two hours and twenty-two minutes, Sabalenka lost to her Croatian opponent after blowing a 7-6, 2-0 lead in her first encounter since her victorious title defense at Melbourne Park. The 31st-ranked Vekic, who currently leads her lifetime head-to-head matchup with Sabalenka 6-2, dominated the entire match and will be going into her next match against the powerful Romanian Sorana Cirstea hoping to make her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal. “I never gave up at any point. I still have faith in my ability to prevail. Vekic, who is 9-13 against the top five, stated, “I just kept fighting.”
“To be very honest, when I traveled to Dubai, I didn’t have high hopes. I am taking a half-holiday this week, as I informed my coach. Indeed, I was on the beach more often than I was on the court. She laughed and said, “Perhaps that’s a good approach moving ahead.
Sabalenka battled back from a break point and wasted a 5-3 lead in windy but warm conditions in Dubai, but she sealed the first set on her sixth opportunity at 69 minutes.
In game eight, Vekic made a comeback and won another significant break to tie the match and force a tiebreaker. In the first set, the world number two jumped out to a 2-0 lead.
With momentum behind her, Vekic defeated her formidable opponent in nine games to seal a final-set victory and secure her spot in the round of 16.
Earlier on Center Court, seventh seed Maria Sakkari defeated in-form American Emma Navarro 6-2 6-4 to end a three-match losing streak and earn her first-ever Dubai main-draw victory on her fourth try.
Sakkari was understandably anxious before her matchup with Navarro, who has already won a title in 2024 and has recorded 13 victories in the first two months of the season, including her first-round exits in Abu Dhabi and Doha.
It was really difficult. I found it difficult to sleep last night since I was obsessing over it. Nobody wants to consistently lose the opening round. However, I convinced myself that it was just the first game of the year. “It was not my best tennis, but it was good enough to defeat a top-tier player,” Sakkari remarked. Sakkari will next play either Leylah Fernandez or Jasmine Paolini.
Sakkari parted ways with Tom Hill after six years together, and she is now looking for a new coach. Due to Sergi Bruguera’s commitment to ATP player Arthur Fils, the Greek world number 11 has to find a full-time coach. Bruguera and the Greek national team had a brief working relationship over the summer and following the Australian Open. By the time Indian Wells kicks off next month, she is sure she will have found a new coach.
Sakkari says of her breakup with Hill, “It was very tough.” We’re still very, very good friends, and that will never change, but I just felt like we couldn’t support one other or move forward.”
Sakkari is accompanied in Dubai by her hitting partner Julien Cagnina and her mother Angeliki, a former top-50 WTA player.
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Regarding her mother, Sakkari referred to her as “my emergency coach.” “It’s nice to have her, we’ve been going out for dinners every day, it’s been a very relaxing week with them.”