–

Not too many seeds in action on the first day of the main draw in Dubai.

But for many of them, it will be an interesting test. Notably Caroline Garcia and Beatriz Haddad Maia, who have already had their ups and downs this season.

Look out for Mirra Andreeva vs feisty American Peyton Stearns (won by Stearns), and Americans Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin – Grand Slam champions, both, but unseeded and in uncertain form.

Stephens prevailed in three; Kenin went down.

All of the seeded players in action Sunday … went down. And the majority of the other matches were won by the lower-ranked player.

ATP Tour – Sunday results

(Dubai is 9 hours ahead of ET)

**********************************

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Location: Dubai, UAE
Category: WTA Tour 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Dates: Feb. 18 – 24, 2024
Prize money: $3,211,715
Draws: S56 / D28

Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024
Final results

Singles, first round

Jasmine Paolini (ITA) def [11] Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) 46 64 60
[Q] Magdalena Frech (POL) def [14] Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 76 (2) 63
[WC] Ashlyn Krueger (USA) def [16] Caroline Garcia (FRA) 36 63 63

Sorana Cirstea (ROU) def Sofia Kenin (USA) 63 76 (2)
~~Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)~~ [LL] Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) def Elise Mertens (BEL) 16 63 76 (3)
[Q] Nao Hibino (JPN) def Magda Linette (POL) 62 36 64
[Q] Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) def. [Q] Storm Hunter (AUS) 61 62
Tatjana Maria (GER) def Varvara Gracheva (FRA) 62 61
Emma Navarro (USA) def Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 46 75 64
Peyton Stearns (USA) def Mirra Andreeva (RUS) 62 26 61
Sloane Stephens (USA) def. [Q] Clara Burel (FRA) 64 16 62
Donna Vekic (CRO) def. Wang Xinyu (CHN) 64 64

Doubles, first round

[6] Lyudmyla Kichenok (UKR) / Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) def. Arantxa Rus (NED) / Wang Xinyu (CHN) 76 (5) 63

Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) / Laura Siegemund (GER) def Eri Hozumi / Makoto Ninomiya (JPN) 06 75 [10-6]
Anna Danilina (KAZ) / Zhang Shuai (CHN) def Ingrid Gamarra Martins (BRA) / Nadiia Kichenok (UKR) 64 63
Shuko Aoyama (JPN) / Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) def. [WC] Ankita Raina / Prarthana Thombare (IND) 46 63 [17-15]
Guo Hanyu / Jiang Xinyu (CHN) def Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) / Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 36 63 [10-8]
Alycia Parks (USA) / Xu Yifan (CHN) def Veronika Kudermetova / Alexandra Panova (RUS) 76 (5) 62