(Dubai) Canada’s Rebecca Marino was eliminated in the second round of qualifying for the Dubai Tennis Championships after a 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(5) loss to Spain’s Rebeka Masarova, SATURDAY.

Often backed by a powerful and efficient serve, Marino, 75^e world player, got only four aces compared to as many double faults. She only managed 54% of her first serves and saved just one of the four break points she faced.

Facing a 95 ranked rival^e at the WTA, Marino nevertheless offered quality play in the first set, during which she did not concede any chance of breaking to Masarova. The Canadian only needed one break, in the third game, to win the set.

Marino failed to keep up the pace in the second set, however, dropping the first three games, including the second while serving.

This time, it was Masarova’s turn to give her opponent no break chance, forcing a decisive set.

Marino started the third set badly again, losing the first three games including two on his serve. The Canadian rebounded and recovered those two breaks in the fourth and sixth games to bring the duel back to even service.

Marino failed to take advantage of two break points in the eighth game and a match point in the 10^e game, and a tiebreaker became necessary.

Both Marino and Masarova were ineffective on serve during this break. Marino lost all six serves while the Spaniard won just one in six attempts. It was enough to win the break 7-5, and the game.

Marino was hoping to become the third Canadian to join the women’s singles main draw, with Quebec’s Leylah Fernandez and Ontario’s Bianca Andreescu already entered.

Ranked 39^e in the world, Fernandez will also play her first match of the tournament on Sunday, against the Austrian Julia Grabher, who came out of the qualifications. Grabher occupies the 90^e echelon in the WTA rankings.

If she beats Grabher, Fernandez will next face Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who enters the tournament after beating American Jessica Pegula in the Qatar Open final 6-3, 6-0 on Saturday.

As for Andreescu, 36^e world player, she will be given a good test on her first outing when she will have to cross swords with Kazakh Elena Rybakina, seeded ninth and 10^e in the WTA rankings. This match will not take place until Monday.

Three weeks ago, Rybakina reached the Australian Open final but lost in three sets to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. Along the way, Rybakina had knocked out Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 16.