Chakvetadze, Mauresmo, Mirza among winners; Bartoli ousted
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Sixth-ranked Anna Chakvetadze ended a two-match losing streak by beating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the first round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday.
Also advancing were Amelie Mauresmo of France, Sania Mirza of India and Francesca Schiavone of Italy. Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova withdrew with a viral illness.
Chakvetadze hadn't won a match since claiming her seventh career title at the Paris Indoors at the start of the month. The Russian faced a strong challenge from Radwanska, the Polish teen who had to qualify at Dubai despite winning at Pattaya City and reaching the semifinals in Doha in her last two events.
Chakvetadze squandered a 5-2 lead in the third set before setting up a match with compatriot Dinara Safina.
"I am slowly regaining my rhythm and winning Paris was good for me, but that was indoors," Chakvetadze said.
The unseeded Mauresmo, the 2002 champion and last year's runner-up, struggled to beat Spanish qualifier Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-6 (7), 6-2. Mirza overcame a shaky start against Vera Dushevina of Russia before winning 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Schiavone ousted seventh-seeded Marion Bartoli of France 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
Sharapova, who had been seeded fifth, withdrew with a viral illness that she said she'd carried through her run in Doha, where she won her 18th career title on Sunday. Her place in the main draw was taken by Japan's Akiko Morigami, who beat Hungarian Agnes Szavay 6-1, 6-4.
Top-ranked Justine Henin starts the defense of her title Wednesday with a second-round match against Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik, while Australian Open runner-up Ana Ivanovic will be up against Nicole Vaidisova. Third-seeded Jelena Jankovic will take on Mirza.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
