Bartoli, Schiavone advance at Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Marion Bartoli of France and Italian Francesca Schiavone gained first-round wins Sunday in the Dubai Tennis Championships.

No. 11 seed Bartoli didn't have much trouble with her opponent, Ekaterina Makarova, dispatching her 6-2, 6-0, to move into the second round.

No. 14 seed Schiavone, meanwhile, defeated Romanian Sorana Cirstea, 6-2, 7-5.

Also racking up a win Sunday was Australian Alicia Molik, who defeated No. 16 seed Zheng Jie of China in three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. Molik advanced to face German Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the second round after Groenefeld got past Russian Alisa Kleybanova, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Sabine Lisicki of Germany will go on to face No. 3 seed Venus Williams after downing Yung-Jan Chan 6-1, 6-4 Sunday.

Williams had a bye Sunday, as did the seven other top Dubai seeds.