Victoria Azarenka lines up Elena Rybakina early in Dubai, where all Top 4 women are entered

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka put away Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-4 and set up a second-round matchup with Elena Rybakina at the Dubai Championships on Monday.

The top four women—Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Rybakina—are reunited for the first time since the Australian Open. All of them received first-round byes and will play on Tuesday.

No. 1-ranked Swiatek overcame Rybakina in the Doha final on Saturday. The Doha-Dubai title double was last achieved in 2007 by Justine Henin. Swiatek lost in the final last year. She starts against former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens.

No. 2 Sabalenka ends a three-week layoff since winning her second straight Australian Open. She faces Donna Vekic but has never passed the Dubai quarterfinals.

No. 3 Gauff has Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy, and No. 4 Rybakina plays Azarenka. She has a 2-0 record against Azarenka.

Former champions Elena Svitolina and No. 9-seeded Jelena Ostapenko won.

Svitolina, the winner in 2017 and 2018, defeated fellow Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina 6-3, 7-6 (7).

Ostapenko defied 11 aces from Wang Xiyu of China to prevail 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in two hours. The 2022 champion has won in Adelaide and Linz already this year.

Also in form is Karolina Pliskova, a former finalist. The Czech won in Cluj-Napoca two weeks ago and reached the Doha semifinals last week. Pliskova defeated Zhang Shuai of China 6-3, 7-5.