DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Former top-ranked Ana Ivanovic swept past Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 6-0 on Tuesday to advance to the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The 17th-ranked Ivanovic came to Dubai after having reached the semifinals in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she lost to eventual champion Roberta Vinci.
Ivanovic will play defending champion and top-seeded Simona Halep in the second round.
"You want to play against the best, and next match is going to be a tough one for me," Ivanovic said. "Simona is a very tough, consistent player. She strikes the ball well.