Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: Australians Sam Stosur And Casey Dellacqua Fall In The Second Round

Australia’s top-ranked women’s tennis players Sam Stosur and Casey Dellacqua lost in the second round of the 2015 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Stosur lost 4-6 6-1 7-5 to Caroline Wozniacki while Dellacqua lost a strenuous three-setter, 6-7(6) 7-6(4) 7-5, to Lucie Safarova.

Stosur won the first set against the Dane, 4-6. Stosur was determined to put up a good fight, claiming the decisive break in the second to the last game in the first set. She scored four aces and won 72 percent of first service games.

However, Wozniacki beat the odds to win the match despite being reportedly ill since arriving in Dubai. Wozniacki was also hindered by a knee injury, which made her call for a medical assistance in the second set of the tiresome three-hour long match.

In the third set, Wozniacki led 5-2 and ultimately found a way to beat the odds to emerge victorious and advance in the third round of the tournament. Wozniacki now leads their head-to-head record 5-4 after her second round victory over Stosur in Dubai. She will face 2014 runner-up Alize Cornet, who beat wildcard Cagla Buyukakcay 6-2 6-4 in the third round.

“It’s a good win under my belt,” Wozniacki said via the official site of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. “I wish it would have been in two sets, but I’m not going to complain, I’m through.”

According to Wozniacki, she felt concerned after losing the first set, thinking that her bid to win a second title in Dubai was “long gone.” She was she was just blissful for being able to survive the scare and get past the second round.

Meanwhile, Dellacqua’s Dubai campaign was also cut short after she was ousted by Czech 11th seed Safarova also in the second round. Dellacqua had met Safarova in the clay courts of Roland Garros in 2014 where she had also lost to the Czech tennis star. Safarova will next play against Venus Williams in the third round.

Complete Results of Women’s Singles Second Round at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Simon Halep def. Daniela Hantuchova 6-2 6-0

Tsvetana Pironkova def. Shuai Peng 3-6 6-4 7-6(5)

Zarina Diyas def. Andrea Petkovic 7-5 6-3

Ekaterina Makarova def. Kateryna Kozlova 6-3 6-3

Caroline Wozniacki def. Samantha Stosur 4-6 6-1 7-5

Alize Cornet def. Cagla Buyukakcay 6-2 6-4

Flavia Pennetta def. Quiang Wang 6-3 7-5

Angelique Kerber def. Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6(9) 6-4

Lucie Safarova def. Casey Dellacqua 6-7(6) 7-6(4) 7-5

Karolina Pliskova def. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-4 6-2

Ana Ivanovic def. Sabine Lisicki 6-0 6-3