UPI en Español  |   UPI Asia  |   About UPI  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Sports News

Azarenka withdraws from Dubai championship

|
 
Victoria Azarenka, shown at last year's U.S. Open cited a foot injury as the reason for withdrawing from this week's Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. UPI/John Angelillo
Victoria Azarenka, shown at last year's U.S. Open cited a foot injury as the reason for withdrawing from this week's Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. UPI/John Angelillo 
License photo
Published: Feb. 19, 2013 at 1:07 PM

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.

Topics: Serena Williams, Carla Suarez Navarro, Nadia Petrova, Zheng Jie, Caroline Wozniacki, Daniela Hantuchova, Dominika Cibulkova, Ekaterina Makarova, Julia Goerges, Petra Kvitova, Sara Errani, Victoria Azarenka, Samantha Stosur
Recommended Stories
© 2013 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
'Star Trek Into Darkness' screening NBC upfronts Met Ball 2013
'Great Gatsby' premieres in New York Spire raised on top of One WTC 2013: Celebrity break ups and divorces
Additional Sports News Stories
1 of 17
Tornado recover efforts underway in Moore, Oklahoma
View Caption
Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin talks to victims from the May 20 tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma, May 22, 2013. The EF-5 tornado cut a path of destruction approximately 17 miles by 1.3 miles wide and left 24 people dead. UPI/J.P. Wilson
fark
Montreal mom arrested for stabbing man who attacked son says she'd do it again. Finally, an arrested...
The 2013 hantavirus season officially kicks off in Arizona, EVERYBODY PANIC
Doodle 4 Google's national winner. A very compelling, very moving image from a young artist. Never...
Standardized tests show our children isn't learning in voucher schools
AAA: expect less traffic this Memorial Day weekend
AAA: expect more traffic this Memorial Day weekend