Pavlyuchenkova exits Doha

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was the first seed to fall at the Qatar Open with the Russian defeated by Ksenia Pervak in Doha.

The 10th seed stormed through the first set 6-1 but lost her way thereafter to lose the match 1-6 6-2 6-3 to the unseeded Pervak of Kazakhstan.

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic eased into the second round after her opponent Carla Suarez Navarro was forced to retire with a back injury.

The Serbian was leading 6-1 4-1 when the 23-year-old Spaniard left the court.

China's Shuai Peng battled past qualifier Fatma Al Nabhani to win in two sets, 6-0 7-5.

The 12th seed will meet American Christina McHale in the second round after she defeated Chanelle Scheepers 6-4 6-3.

British number two Anne Keothavong defeated world number 47 Tamira Paszek in two tie-breakers, 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) to set up a clash with fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who received a bye past the first round.

Russian 14th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova ousted Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 7-5 6-3 while Shahar Peer breezed past wildcard Nadia Lalami 6-0 6-0.

Israeli Peer will play eighth seed Jelena Jankovic in the second round.

German Mona Barthel teed up a showdown with top seed Victoria Azarenka with a hard-fought 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4) win over qualifier Caroline Garcia.

Romanian Monica Niculescu swept Russian Elena Vesnina aside 6-1 6-0, and she will take on another Russian - sixth seed Vera Zvonareva - in the second round.

Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria had no trouble defeating Polona Hercog 6-0 6-4, while other qualifiers to win through were Kateryna Bondarenko and Varvara Lepchenko.