FLAVIA PENNETTA ADVANCE IN DUBAI 2015. GOERGES OUT

Flavia Pennetta fought off four match points in an opening day scare as she battled back from the edge of defeat to overcome a gallant challenge by former finalist Julia Goerges to win 2-6 7-6(3) 6-4.

 The 10th seeded Italian has an impressive record in Dubai, reaching the semi-finals in 2011 and fighting her way through the qualifying rounds last year before beating former champion Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the quarter-finals. But Goerges has also enjoyed success in Dubai, savouring the best week of her career in 2012 when she beat two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and world number four Caroline Wozniacki on her way to the final. It appeared certain that Goerges was going to produce the first upset of the tournament as she led by a set and 5-2 and held match points at 5-3. 
But Pennetta used all of her vast experience to fight back and level the match at one set each, and then hold off a late challenge from Goerges to claim victory in a draining two hours 15 minutes. Former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki set up an intriguing clash with fourth seed and former world number one Ana Ivanovic as she defeated Monica Niculescu 6-3 6-4, and Casey Dellacqua made the most of receiving a wild card into the tournament by defeating Katerina Siniakova 6-3 6-4. There was victory too for Belinda Bencic, who beat Karin Knapp to earn a second round meeting with defending champion Venus Williams. Tsvetana Pironkova battled for over two hours to overcome Klara Koukalova 6-3 4-6 6-3, but Svetlana Kuznetsova enjoyed an easy passage into the second round when Kaia Kanepi retired with a back injury as Kuznetsova led 4-1. “We have already witnessed great drama, with one of our seeded players involved in a tremendous struggle to advance beyond the first round,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman of Dubai Duty Free, the tournament owners and organizers. “Flavia Pennetta avoided an upset in what was a thrilling battle to begin what is sure to be an exciting week of first class tennis.”