–

A big prime-time challenge for Leylah Fernandez, as she took on world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in a 7:30 p.m. local showdown. It was a … tough night at the office.

And it was a packed schedule, with Kvitova, Samsonova, Krejcikova and Zheng Qinwen relegated to … Court 3.

Sakkari, Bencic, Azarenka and Rybakina didn’t even make the main court as Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka hit the stage.

The number of marathons and “season’s longest” matches are piling up, which tells you that the surface is probably … too slow despite the tournament’s assurances that it remained “medium fast” even after being resurfaced with DecoTurf.

(Dubai is nine hours ahead of ET, 12 hours ahead of PT; Merida is one hour behind)

ATP – Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023 final results

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Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Dates: Feb. 19 – 25, 2023
Location: Dubai, UAE
Surface: Outdoor Hard (WTA 1000)
Prize money: $2,788,468
Draws: S56 – D28

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
Final results

Singles, second round

[1] Iga Swiatek (POL) def. Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 61 61

Madison Keys (USA) def [4] Caroline Garcia (FRA) 75 64

Karolina Pliskova (CZE) def [6] Maria Sakkari (GRE) 61 62
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) def [7] Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 64 46 75

[2] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) def. [LL] Lauren Davis (USA) 60 61
[3] Jessica Pegula (USA) def. [Q] Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) 62 57 61
[5] Coco Gauff (USA) def. Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 60 64
[8] Belinda Bencic (SUI) def [WC] Marta Kostyuk (UKR) 67 (7) 76 (5) 64
[9] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) def Marie Bouzkova (CZE) 75 63
[12] Petra Kvitova (CZE) def. Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 64 64
[13] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) def [WC] Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) 62 60
[14] Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) def. Zheng Qinwen (CHN) WALKOVER
[15] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) def Amanda Anisimova (USA) 46 64 76 (5)

[Q] Ana Bogdan (ROU) def. Shelby Rogers (USA) 76 (3) 63
Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) def. [Q] Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 57 62 63
[PR] Karolina Muchova (CZE) def. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 64 76 (4)

Doubles, second round

[2] Lyudmyla Kichenok / Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) def. Timea Babos (HUN) / Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 61 76 (4)
[3] Desirae Krawczyk (USA) / Demi Schuurs (NED) def. Ulrikke Eikeri (NOR) / Alicja Rosolska (POL) 61 62

Hao-Ching Chan / Latisha Chan (TPE) def Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) / Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 76 (5) 76 (7)

Doubles, first round

Veronika Kudermetova / Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) def. Madison Keys (USA) / Sania Mirza (IND) 64 60

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Merida Open Akron
Dates: Feb. 20 – 26, 2023
Location: Merida, Mexico
Surface: Outdoor Hard (WTA 250)
Prize money: $259,303
Draws: S32 – D16

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
Final results

Singles, first round

[1] Magda Linette (POL) def Camila Osorio (COL) 67 (2) 75 62
[2] Sloane Stephens (USA) def. [Q] Léolia Jeanjean (FRA) 61 63
[4] Katerina Siniakova (CZE) def [Q] Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 75 retd
[5] Alycia Parks (USA) def. [QC] Fernanda Contreras Gomez (MEX) 76 (7) 36 75

~~Kateryna Baindl (UKR)~~ [LL] Varvara Gracheva (RUS) def Tatjana Maria (GER) 36 64 62
[Q] Rebecca Peterson (SWE) def Nadia Podoroska (ARG) 63 75
Panna Udvardy (HUN) def. Julie Niemeier (GER) 76 (1) 76 (5)
Wang Xinyu (CHN) def [Q] Elina Avanesyan (RUS) 16 62 63

Doubles, first round

Wang Xiyu / Zhu Lin (CHN) def [1] Alicia Barnett / Olivia Nicholls (GBR) 61 46 [10-6]
Caty McNally (USA) / Diane Parry (FRA) def [4] Han Xinyun (CHN) / Lidziya Marozava (BLR) 64 36 [10-5]

Anna Bondar (HUN) / Elixane Lechemia (FRA) def Viktorija Golubic (SUI) / Panna Udvardy (HUN) 60 63