On the brink of elimination, Azarenka joins Swiatek in the second round in Dubai
Victoria Azarenka is looking to reassure herself after a tricky start to the season. The Belarusian, former world number 1, has won just one match on the WTA Tour, that being against Maya Joint in Brisbane.
Beaten from the outset at the Australian Open and in Doha last week, Azarenka faced Anhelina Kalinina in her first round match in Dubai.
The start of the match didn't go according to plan for the two-time Melbourne winner, as Kalinina quickly broke away, quickly leading 6-2, 5-2.
But Azarenka hasn't won any major titles in her career for nothing. Mentally sound, she clawed her way back into the match, first winning the second-set tiebreak after trailing 4-2.
In the third set, Kalinina broke the first, and led 4-3 with serve to follow. But it was clear that Azarenka would not give up.
For almost the first time in the match, she took the lead at 5-4 and, on her fourth match point, took advantage of a double fault by the Ukrainian to reach the second round (2-6, 7-6, 6-4).
It was the 35-year-old Azarenka's second success of the season, breaking a run of three consecutive defeats.
She will now face world number 2 Iga Swiatek for a place in the last 16 of the WTA 1000 Dubai.
Dubaï 
