Rybakina storms into 3rd round, Filipina star Eala wins; Gauff beats Kalinskaya

Australian Open winner and top seed Elena Rybakina delivered a commanding performance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, brushing aside qualifier Kimberly Birrell 6-1, 6-2 at the Centre Court on Tuesday in exactly one hour.

- Amir Naqvi, Sports Editor

Making her intention clear, the World No. 3 from Kazakhstan set the tone early with a five-game streak, ultimately serving out the first set in the seventh game.

She carried that momentum into the second set, racing to a 5-1 lead with another dominant run and ultimately sealed the victory.

Filipino star Alexandra Eala triumphed over 2024 champion and sixth seed Jasmine Paolini, 6-1, 7-6, in front of a raucous crowd.

Spurred on by a passionate Filipino following, Eala dominated the first set with aggressive baseline play and precise serving, then held her nerve in a tense second-set tiebreak, fending off Paolini's counterattacks to secure a memorable victory.

Earlier, Coco Gauff and several other top seeds also including Jessica Pegula, Iva Jovic, Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitrolina and Belinda Bencic, reached the Round of 16.

American star and third seed Gauff gained a sweet revenge over Anna Kalinskaya with a 6-4, 6-4 victory. The Russian had beaten Gauff at this event two years ago, helping fuel a breakout run into her first WTA IOOO final.