Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin has become the third top-five seed to stumble out of the Dubai opening round as she fell 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 6-3 to an in-form Elena Rybakina.
Contesting her first tour-level event since lifting the Melbourne grand slam trophy earlier this month, American Kenin joined No.3 seed Elina Svitolina and No.4 seed Belinda Bencic in bowing out of the tournament on Tuesday.
Her opponent Rybakina has made three finals in the four tournaments she played this season, and is up to No.19 in the world, compared to 192nd this time last year.
“I’m so happy with my win today, I think today I followed the right tactics, that was the key to the win,” Rybakina said of the high-level two-hour clash.
Kenin was broken while serving for the opening set but still took it in the breaker on the 47-minute mark.
Her Russian-born Kazakh opponent broke twice late in the second set to force a decider.
Rybakina found some powerful returns to get a crucial break for 5-3 in the third and nothing could stop the 20-year-old big-server from securing her seventh three-set victory of the year.
She plays Katerina Siniakova in the second round.