{"id":20851,"date":"2024-02-19T15:20:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T20:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/victoria-azarenka-wins-to-set-up-match-with-elena-rybakina-in-dubai\/19\/02\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-02-19T15:20:47","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T20:20:47","slug":"victoria-azarenka-wins-to-set-up-match-with-elena-rybakina-in-dubai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/sport\/victoria-azarenka-wins-to-set-up-match-with-elena-rybakina-in-dubai\/19\/02\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Victoria Azarenka wins to set up match with Elena Rybakina in Dubai"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka<\/a> put away Arantxa Rus<\/a> of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-4 and set up a second-round matchup with Elena Rybakina<\/a> at the Dubai Championships on Monday.<\/p>\n

The top four women — Iga Swiatek<\/a>, Aryna Sabalenka<\/a>, Coco Gauff<\/a>, Rybakina — are reunited for the first time since the Australian Open. All of them received first-round byes and will play on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

No. 1-ranked Swiatek overcame Rybakina in the Doha final on Saturday. The Doha-Dubai title double was last achieved in 2007 by Justine Henin<\/a>. Swiatek lost in the final last year. She starts against former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No. 2 Sabalenka ends a three-week layoff since winning her second straight Australian Open. She faces Donna Vekic<\/a> but has never passed the Dubai quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

No. 3 Gauff has Elisabetta Cocciaretto<\/a> of Italy, and No. 4 Rybakina plays Azarenka. She has a 2-0 record against Azarenka.<\/p>\n

Former champions Elina Svitolina<\/a> and No. 9-seeded Jelena Ostapenko<\/a> won.<\/p>\n

Svitolina, the winner in 2017 and 2018, defeated fellow Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina<\/a> 6-3, 7-6 (7).<\/p>\n

Ostapenko defied 11 aces from Wang Xiyu<\/a> of China to prevail 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in two hours. The 2022 champion has won in Adelaide and Linz already this year.<\/p>\n

Also in form is Karolina Pliskova<\/a>, a former finalist. The Czech won in Cluj-Napoca two weeks ago and reached the Doha semifinals last week. Pliskova defeated Zhang Shuai<\/a> of China 6-3, 7-5.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka put away Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-4 and set up