DUBAI, Feb 19: Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic overcame a sore right shoulder to beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 7-6 in the first round of the Dubai tennis championships on Monday while top-seeded Victoria Azarenka pulled out.

Ivanovic’s career has dipped since she won the French title in 2008, sinking from number one in the world rankings to 13th, and she was far from flawless on the floodlit Dubai court.

The Serb slipped from 4-0 up in the second set to 6-6 as her first serve percentage plunged, before winning the subsequent tiebreak 7-5.

Azarenka, the only unbeaten leading player on the tour this year, withdrew because of a bone bruise in her foot. “I’m very disappointed, but I have to listen to my body,” said the Belarussian.

Also on Monday, US teenager Sloane Stephens was eliminated in three sets to cap a miserable debut trip to the Gulf, the latest setback for the rising star who reached the Australian Open semi-finals.

Stephens, who has reached a career high 16 in the world rankings since knocking out Serena Williams in Melbourne, lost to Sorana Cirstea of Romania 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 after having suffered a second-round exit in last week’s Qatar Open.

Laura Robson, the British up-and-comer, joined Stephens in being eliminated after losing to 97th-ranked wild-card entry Yulia Putinseva of Kazakhstan 6-4, 2-6, 7-6.

Results: First round: Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) bt Laura Robson (Britain) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6); Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); Marion Bartoli (France) bt Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) bt Varvara Lepchenko (US) 6-1, 6-3; Sorana Cirstea (Romania) bt Sloane Stephens (US) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.—Agencies