Victoria Azarenka returned to action following her
Australian Open triumph with a swift win over
Switzerland's Romina Oprandi at the Qatar Open.
Azarenka, the top seed and defending champion,
won 6-2 6-3 as she looks to hold on to her world
number one status.
.
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova both have an
opportunity to end the week with the top ranking.
Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Kvitova and Caroline
Wozniacki were among the other winners in Doha on
Wednesday.
.
Fourth seed Radwanska beat
Anastasia Rodionova 6-3 6-2,
seventh seed Kvitova led 6-4
when Ekaterina Makarova
retired, and 10th seed Wozniacki
saw off Sorana Cirstea 7-6 (9-7)
6-0.
.
But Sloane Stephens, the
American teenager who beat
title favourite Williams at
the Australian Open, suffered
a bruising loss to Czech Klara
Zakopalova, who goes through
to meet Sharapova.