NEW YORK // Victoria Azarenka, the fourth seed, easily advanced at the US Open Tuesday, defeating the 60th-ranked Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-1, 6-3 in just 70 minutes as most of the big names moved forward.
Not joining them will be the Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who fell to 48th-ranked Alexandra 7-6, 6-3 to become the first Wimbledon winner to be eliminated in the first round of the US Open in the same season.
Also moving on was the unseeded Venus Williams.
If her sister, Serena, is the tournament favourite with a seeding of 28th, Venus, who coasted through the first round with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Vesna Dolonts, certainly cannot be a dark horse, even if she is unseeded for the first time since 1997, when she was 17 and made a run all the way to the final.
When healthy and motivated, she and Serena are the biggest X factors in any tournament they enter.
So people overlook her at their peril, even if she is playing her first competitive tennis after taking a two-month break to fight off a viral illness.
"A lot of the battle is just trying to be fit and stay healthy," Venus said. "I've been losing that battle a lot, but I do feel like I can play six matches ... No one is more in a 'one-match-at-a-time' mode than me at this tournament."
Maria Sharapova, who fell to Kvitova in the Wimbledon final, looked rusty in coming from a set down to beat 19-year-old Heather Watson of Britain 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
World No 1 Caroline Wozniacki also reached the second round with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Nuria Llagostera Vives.
Wozniacki, in search of a first slam title, needed an hour and 20 minutes to subdue the 125th-ranked Spaniard.
The top-seeded Dane next faces either Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands or Elena Vesnina of Russia.
Company%20profile
The specs
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Specs%20
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Fanar Haddad: The Iranian response will be gradual
Richard Olson: Why Afghanistan will be very wary
Sholto Byrnes: Multilateralism needs a reboot
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
COMPANY%20PROFILE
EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
Company%20Profile
COMPANY PROFILE
Elvis
MATCH INFO
Brescia 1 (Skrinia og, 76)
Inter Milan 2 (Martinez 33, Lukaku 63)
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
While you're here
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
Jigra
Company%20Profile
South Africa's T20 squad
Duminy (c), Behardien, Dala, De Villiers, Hendricks, Jonker, Klaasen (wkt), Miller, Morris, Paterson, Phangiso, Phehlukwayo, Shamsi, Smuts.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
more from Janine di Giovanni
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
While you're here
Richard Heydarian: Across Asia there are crowds who can't get enough of Donald Trump
C Uday Bhaskar: The 'Asian Century' depends on China and India working together
Sholto Byrnes: Asia's bumpy trade routes are by no means dead-end streets
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One