Kirilenko bites the dust

Maria Kirilenko’s hopes of a flying start inside the Aviation Club came crashing down at the first hurdle of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday.

The 23-year-old Russian, ranked 26^th in the WTA world rankings, struggled throughout her first-round match against South African qualifier Chanelle Scheepers before eventually losing 6-2, 6-2.

She lost seven service games in total — three in the first set, while four were dropped in the second – and her backhand wing misfired continually as Scheepers booked her place against sixth-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic in the next phase.

“I made so many mistakes today,” Kirilenko admitted. “Every ball is just a mistake and I couldn’t find the feelings. It was just a very bad day for me.

“I’m trying to find my game again because I feel that there are a little bit too many mistakes. I don’t feel what to do.

“I just need to practice. Practice, practice, practice — that’s how you can find the game back. I was practicing in Pattaya a lot and maybe it wasn’t enough. Maybe, I need a little bit more.”

Kirilenko though refuses to contemplate a career away from the court anytime soon, adding: “For now, I’m still just focusing on tennis in my mind.

“When the time comes, then I will think about it. I’m still not very old yet. I still have a few more years to play, for sure. I’m going to go for a 30-minute run now to take away the stress.”

Elsewhere, Alisa Kleybanova won the all-Russian affair with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, recovering from the loss of the first set to prevail 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. She’ll now face either Austria’s Jarmila Groth or Dominika Cibulkova, of the Czech Republic.

Great Britain’s Elena Baltacha was defeated in straight sets (7-6, 6-4) by Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru, who progresses through to a tie versus Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, of Spain, or the ninth seed from Israel, Shahar Peer.

China’s Shuai Zhang had an equally straightforward passage through as she despatched Yaroslava Shvedova, of Kazakhstan, for the right to battle the third seed here, Italy’s Francesca Schiavone.

Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky toppled Czech Iveta Benesova, emerging triumphant 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in another encounter that went the distance, while Anastasija Sevastova, of Latvia, accounted for Australia’s Anastasia Rodionova 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.

alex@khaleejtimes.com