Ana defeated world No.12 Francesca Schiavone 6-1, 7-5 in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. It was a polished display of aggression from Ana in a match that featured a 16-and-a-half minute game.
Such was Ana's dominance, she was able to come through in straight sets despite failing to convert 18 break points. Indeed she was all over the Schiavone serve and could have won the match even more comprehensively.
After clinching that epic second game Ana soared into a 4-0 lead. She spurned opportunities to record a whitewash, but the result of the opening set was never in doubt, such was the 24-year-old's superior hitting.
Schiavone's level improved drastically in set two as the match became far more competitive. Ana scored a crucial break in the fifth game and, though she was broken when serving for the match at 5-4, she broke the Italian in the following game and this time served out victory after an hour and 42 minutes.
"We had some great rallies and great tennis," commented Ana. "Some of the games I thought weren't going to end!
"She's a tough opponent. She pushed you back and she plays with great intensity. Credit to her, she gave me a tough match today."
Ana will take on her former doubles partner Maria Kirilenko of Russia in round two on Wednesday, after the world No.22 brushed aside Romania's Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-0 on Monday.
Ana leads the pair's head-to-head series 3-2, but Kirilenko triumphed 6-3, 6-1 during their last encounter, in Tokyo last September.
The match is scheduled as the second of the day on Court 1 and is expected to begin sometime after 3.30pm local time (12.30pm Central European Time; 6.30am Eastern Time). Click here for live point-by-point scoring from the Dubai Tennis Stadium.
