–
A few upsets Tuesday – Maria Sakkari got just three games in a shock defeat.
But plenty of big matches Wednesday, with Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff not even making the big court (but, in the end, Rybakina withdrew and pulled out of both that match, and her doubles match also scheduled for today).
Azarenka v Keys, Bencic v Muchova, and Swiatek took on Liudmila Samsonova. For as long as that lasted.
The loudest and brashest was Aryna Sabalenka vs Jelena Ostapenko, a night-session dandy.
(Dubai is nine hours ahead of ET, 12 hours ahead of PT; Merida is one hour behind)
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Dates: Feb. 19 – 25, 2023
Location: Dubai, UAE
Surface: Outdoor Hard (WTA 1000)
Prize money: $2,788,468
Draws: S56 – D28
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023
Final results
Singles, third round
[5] Coco Gauff (USA) def [9] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) WALKOVER
[PR] Karolina Muchova (CZE) def [8] Belinda Bencic (SUI) 61 64
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) def [12] Petra Kvitova (CZE) 63 62
Madison Keys (USA) def [15] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 62 61
[1] Iga Swiatek (POL) def [14] Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 61 60
[2] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) def. [13] Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 26 61 61
[3] Jessica Pegula (USA) def. [Q] Ana Bogdan (ROU) 64 63
Karolina Pliskova (CZE) def. Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) 75 67 (6) 62
Doubles quarterfinal
Hao-Ching Chan / Latisha Chan (TPE) def. [1] Coco Gauff / Jessica Pegula (USA) 61 63
Doubles, second round
Veronika Kudermetova / Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) def. [4] Giuliana Olmos (MEX) / Zhang Shuai (CHN) 64 62
[7] Vera Zvonareva (RUS) / Yang Zhaoxuan (CHN) def. Shuko Aoyama / Makoto Ninomiya (JPN) 26 62 [16-14]
Monica Niculescu (ROU) / Kimberley Zimmerman (BEL) def Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) / Elena Rybakina (KAZ) WALKOVER
*************************************
Dates: Feb. 20 – 26, 2023
Location: Merida, Mexico
Surface: Outdoor Hard (WTA 250)
Prize money: $259,303
Draws: S32 – D16
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023
Final results
Singles, second round
[7] Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) def. Wang Xinyu (CHN) 64 62
[Q] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) def Wang Xiyu (CHN) 63 62
Camila Giorgi (ITA) def. Nuria Parrizas Diaz (ESP) 76 (5) 62
Caty McNally (USA) def. [WC] Katy Volynets (USA) 63 60
Doubles, quarterfinal
Caty McNally (USA) / Diane Parry (FRA) def Anna Bondar (HUN) / Elixane Lechemia (FRA) 63 76 (6)
Doubles, first round
Natela Dzalamidze (GEO) / Kamila Rakhimova (RUS) def. Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) / Mayar Sherif (EGY) 61 63
Despina Papamichail (GRE) / Simona Waltert (SUI) def Ingrid Neel (USA) / Rosalie Van der Hoek (NED)62 26 [10-5]