Zheng, Li crash out of Dubai women's Open
(Agencies)
Updated: 2006-02-21 14:41

China's Zheng Jie and Li Na failed to advance from the first round at Dubai Women's Open in Dubai on Monday. 

Zheng Jie lost 3-6, 7-6(7), 1-6 to former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina, the sixth seed of the tournament, while Zheng Jie was defeated by last year's quarterfinalist Hantuchova by 6-3, 4-6, 6-7(4).

Myskina, overcoming serving problems, committed nine double-faults against a player seeking her first win of the season. The Russian was playing after reaching the indoor semifinals at Tokyo and a two-week rest.

"I needed time to adjust to the change playing indoors in freezing conditions in Tokyo to outdoors here," she said. "I figured out her game and the third set went according to my plans."

In the second round, she'll face either wild card and 2001 champ Martina Hingis or Indian star Sania Mirza.

Myskina advanced with two other Russians, Elena Likhovtseva and Vera Dushevina, and eighth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

Likhovtseva defeated 2005 runner-up Jelena Jankovic of Serbia-Montenegro 7-5, 7-5.

"Jelena was not playing as well as she played last year," Likhovtseva said. "She made a lot of unforced errors and I am happy the match did not go into a third set."

She will play defending champion and second-seeded Lindsay Davenport, who is appearing in her second event of the year after a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open.

Dushevina downed Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-1, the fifth straight time she has beaten the Frenchwoman. She next plays third-seeded Maria Sharapova in an all-Russian match.