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Peer makes her point in Dubai

Shahar Peer is playing in Dubai for the first time © Getty Images

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Day Two in pictures

Shahar Peer rallied from a set down to book her place in the second round at the Dubai Tennis Championships with victory over Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer.

The Israeli, playing in Dubai for the first time after she was refused entry on security grounds last year, ensured the trouble she had taken to secure a visa was not in vain, beating the 13th seed 3-6 6-2 7-5.

Organisers feared fan anger targeting Peer over Israel's three-week military offensive in Gaza 12 months ago, but were fined $300,000 by the WTA and required to open the event to all qualifying players. Peer now meets Virginie Razzano in round two following the Frenchwoman's 6-2 6-2 victory over Selima Sfar.

Agnieszka Radwanska became the first player to reach the third round as she defeated Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-3 6-3. Seventh seed Radwanska received a bye in the first round, but she pounced on Sevastova's weak second serve to complete a routine victory.

Ninth seed Sam Stosur was the second seed to tumble at the first round stage with defeat to Italy's Tathiana Garbin. After China's Zheng Jie lost on Sunday, Stosur, who lost in the second round to Zheng last year, won the first set comfortably before falling 3-6 6-2 7-6(4).

Garbin, ranked 42 places below the world No. 12, will now play Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, while Vera Zvonareva, fresh from defending her Pattaya City Open title in Thailand, will meet Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens after beating fellow Russian Elena Vesnina 6-4 4-6 7-5.

A third seed fell on Monday afternoon as Nadia Petrova fell to wildcard entry Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland. Petrova was seeded 15th in Dubai, but she was matched blow for blow by world No. 68 Voegele, whose post-match statistics were almost identical to her higher ranked opponent in a 7-6(5) 7-6(5) victory.

In the same half of the draw, Flavia Pennetta breezed past Hungary's Melinda Czink 6-4 6-1. Czink barely managed to get 50% of her first serves in as Pennetta wrapped things up in 68 minutes, setting up a second round clash with Andrea Petkovic, who defeated Alona Bondarenko 2-6 6-4 6-3.

Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova booked her place in the second round with a solid 6-4 6-4 victory over Yaroslava Shvedova. Last year's French Open semi-finalist created fewer break point opportunities than her Kazakh opponent, but executed her opportunities to set up a second-round tie with top seed Caroline Wozniacki, who was handed a bye in the first round.

Anabel Medina Garrigues will meet second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova after the Spaniard beat India's Sania Mirza 6-3 6-4, while Aravane Rezai beat Sybille Bammer 6-3 5-7 7-5 to set up a second-round clash with sixth seed Jelena Jankovic.

In Memphis, No. 3 seed Kaia Kanepi made light work of her first round clash with Aranxta Rus, winning 6-0 6-4. Kanepi hit six aces as she made the perfect start to her Morgan Keegan Championships campaign.

Michaella Krajicek bettered Kanepi's aces tally as she fired nine past Julia Schruff in a 2-6 6-1 6-2 victory. Krajicek took time to settle, producing nine double faults in the match, but she had the nerve to save eight break points in order to grind out a win.

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