Jasmine Paolini kickstarted her Dubai Tennis Championships title defence with a straight-sets win over Eva Lys. (More Sports News)
💜Paolini had a match point when rain stopped play in the Middle East.
🗹But the Italian returned to the court over four hours later to claim the point she needed to earn a 6-2 7-5 victory.
🍸Though Paolini's momentum was interrupted, she remained focused, with Lys sending a forehand wide of the mark.
✅Paolini became only the second player since the tournament's inception in 2001 to win six or more consecutive matches after turning 28 in Dubai, since the event became a WTA-1000 tournament, after Venus Williams (2009-2015).
♌Seeds Elena Rybakina and Paula Badosa also advanced on Tuesday and will face off in the round of 16.
♕Rybakina, runner-up to Simona Halep in Dubai in 2020, overcame qualifier Moyuka Uchijima, needing just one hour and 14 minutes to seal a 6-3 6-2 victory.
🍃In a dominant display, the world number seven served up seven aces to her opponent's three, while she also won 81% (22/26) of her first-serve points.
𒆙Australian Open semi-finalist Badosa enjoyed a similarly comfortable win, brushing aside Elise Mertens 6-2 6-1.
