Seeds Myskina, Hantuchova Tested at WTA Dubai

The Russian Myskina split sets with Jie Zheng before rolling the Chinese player 6-1 in the third, while the Slovak Hantuchova edged another Chinese player, Na Li, 7-6 in the third.

"It was a little bit difficult to close the match today," Myskina said. "I've been playing indoors and it was different here, and I was a little bit nervous as well. But I'll settle down...Everything is getting better -- everything -- my life, my shoulder. I'm more happy right now. I want to play now. I want to do my best. Last year I didn't want to play any more. I was stepping on the court thinking when am I going to get off. Now it's different."

Un-seeds into the second round Monday were Russians Elena Likhovtseva (d. Jankovic) and Vera Dushevina (d. Bartoli), and Czech Lucie Safarova (d. Sugiyama), all in straight sets.

The final round of qualifying was also completed with four more poured into the oil-money-laden field in Kyra Nagy (HUN), Henrieta Nagyova (SVK), Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR), and Martina Muller (GER).

On tap for Tuesday in Dubai are Kuznetsova vs. Muller, Petrova vs. Kirilenko in an all-Russian, the spotlight match of the day in the former No. 1 Hingis vs. the slumping Indian Mirza, Zvonareva vs. Sfar, Razzano vs. Schiavone, in doubles Huber/M.Navratilova vs. Jankovic/N.Li, K.Bondarenko vs. Peschke, and Nagy vs. Nagyova.