Kvitova ousts top seed Sabalenka as favourites exit Dubai

Aryna Sabalenka (left) and Barbora Krejcikova 

DUBAI, AFP: Aryna Sabalenka and Barbora Krejcikova, the top two seeds, both crashed to second-round defeats in the Dubai WTA tournament on Wednesday, with defending champion Garbine Muguruza also exiting on a day of upsets.

Belarusian Sabalenka, the world number two, fell 6-4, 6-4 to former Dubai winner Petra Kvitova. French Open champion Krejcikova lost 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to qualifier Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.

Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova advanced to the quarter-finals past fourth seed Muguruza 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko edging out sixth seed Iga Swiatek 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4).

10th seed Elina Svitolina’s hopes of adding a third Dubai title to her collection ended early at the hands of Swiss lucky loser Jil Teichmann, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2.

Kvitova, Dubai champion in 2013, took only 85 minutes to complete her third win in five meetings with Sabalenka.

The two-time Wimbledon champion’s ranking has slipped to 25th, but the 31-year-old reached her first quarter-final of the season.