Written by
The Sports Network
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Sports Network) - World No. 1 star
Victoria Azarenka decided to pull out of the $2 million Dubai Duty Free
Championships, citing a left ankle injury.
The Belarusian Azarenka suffered the injury during a semifinal match in Doha
last week.
"Obviously it's very disappointing, but, I mean, it's life. It's sport. I just
have to take care of it and that's it," Azarenka said. "I take a couple of
days off just to see and hopefully it will settle down for as long that I
don't need to take a scan or anything.
"But I just need to have my peace of mind and probably will still do the same
just to make sure there is nothing really serious. But it has to be taken care
of right away."
The 22-year-old Azarenka is off to a sizzling 17-0 start this year, which
includes three titles. She captured her first-ever Grand Slam championship at
the Australian Open last month, which propelled her to the top of the
rankings, where she supplanted Danish star Caroline Wozniacki.
Azarenka, who was the 2010 runner-up in Dubai, was last week's big winner
in Doha.
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, French Open titlist Li Na and former
Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up Vera Zvonareva were also forced to pull out
of Dubai because of injury or illness.
Lucky-loser Casey Dellacqua replaced Azarenka in the Dubai draw and the Aussie
promptly lost to German Julia Goerges 6-0, 6-2 in the second round on
Wednesday. Azarenka had received a bye into the second round.
Also on Wednesday, fourth-seeded U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur reached
the third round with a hard-fought 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 victory over Czech
Lucie Safarova on the hardcourts at Dubai Tennis Stadium. The Aussie Stosur
lost to Azarenka 6-1, 6-2 in last week's finale at the Qatar Open.
In other action involving seeds in Dubai, No. 5 Pole Agnieszka Radwanska
downed Israeli Shahar Peer 7-5, 6-4, No. 8 Serb Jelena Jankovic handled
Italian Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-2, and No. 9 German Sabine Lisicki whipped
Czech Iveta Benesova 6-3, 6-3. The former No. 1 Jankovic was the Dubai runner-
up in 2005.
Meanwhile, another former world No. 1 Serb and former French Open champion,
Ana Ivanovic, got past Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) on Day 3.
The reigning Dubai titlist and former No. 1 Wozniacki is also on Wednesday's
schedule, as the Dane will take on Romanian Simona Halep. Wozniacki topped
Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in last year's finale here.
The 2012 Dubai champ will earn $446,778.
The Sports Network