DUBAI: Iga Swiatek survived a gruelling affair against Sloane Stephens while Aryna Sabalenka blamed unfavourable conditions for her second round defeat to Donna Vekic here at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday.

The top-seeded Swiatek, who clinched her third consecutive Doha title on Saturday and had a first round bye in this event, had to dig deep to overcome former US Open champion Stephens 6-4, 6-4 in a tug of war that witnessed eight breaks of serve and a combined 23 break points.Swiatek in the last-16 stage takes on two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina.

Meanwhile, second seed Sabalenka fell 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-0 to familiar foe Vekic in what was her first appearance since she successfully defended her title at the Australian Open last month.

World number two Sabalenka blew a 7-6, 2-0 lead and lost the last nine games of the clash to succumb to her Croatian opponent in two hours and 22 minutes.The 31st-ranked Vekic, who now owns a 6-2 head-to-head lead in lifetime meetings against Sabalenka, was aggressive throughout the match and enters her next clash with big-hitting Romanian Sorana Cirstea searching for her first WTA 1000 quarter-final of her career.

Fourth seed Elena Rybakina advanced to the third round when her opponent Victoria Azarenka retired with an undisclosed injury. Azarenka took the first set before Rybakina levelled the match 4-6, 6-2.

The former world number one called the trainer between sets and decided to pull out of the contest to avoid further damage, sending Rybakina to a last-16 meeting with Polish qualifier Magdalena Frech.

Over on Court 1, Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen needed medical attention after dropping the opening set to Nao Hibino. The Chinese world number seven had her vitals checked and took some medication before coming back for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory.Earlier on Centre Court, eighth seed Maria Sakkari snapped a three-match losing streak and claimed her first-ever Dubai main-draw victory, on her fourth attempt, with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over inform American Emma Navarro.

After suffering opening-round exits in Abu Dhabi and Doha, Sakkari faces Italian Jasmine Paolininext.-AFP