DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Iga Swiatek survived a grueling affair against Sloane Stephens while Aryna Sabalenka blamed unfavorable conditions for her second-round defeat to Donna Vekic in Dubai on Tuesday.

The top-seeded Swiatek, who clinched her third consecutive Doha title on Saturday and had a first-round bye in this event, had to dig deep to overcome former US Open champion Stephens, 6-4, 6-4, in a tug of war that witnessed eight breaks of serve and a combined 23 break points.

Premium + Digital Edition

Ad-free access


P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
  • Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
  • Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)

TRY FREE FOR 14 DAYS
See details
See details