Azarenka withdraws from Dubai championship

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- World No. 2-ranked Victoria Azarenka on Tuesday withdrew from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships due to injury.

Azarenka was seeded first in the tournament before the rankings were updated Monday and Serena Williams supplanted Azarenka as the world No. 1. Azarenka lost the top ranking even though she beat Williams in Sunday's final of the Qatar Open.

Azarenka had a first-round bye in Dubai but pulled out of the tournament because of a right foot injury.

Carla Suarez Navarro will take Azarenka's spot in the draw.

On the court Tuesday, fifth-seeded Sara Errani needed three sets to get by Julia Goerges 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 and advance to the second round. Errani had five breaks on the day, including the sole break of the third set.

The other seeded players won in straight sets with No. 6 Petra Kvitova stopping Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-1; seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur beating Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-1; and No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki defeated Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-2.

Also Tuesday, as the first round was completed, Nadia Petrova got by Dominika Cibulkova 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 and Zheng Jie edged Urszula Radwanska 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.