Zheng Qinwen exits Qatar Open after loss to Ons Jabeur in round of 32

Zheng Qinwen's campaign at the WTA Qatar Open ended on Tuesday after she was defeated in the round of 32 by Ons Jabeur.

China's World No. 8 lost in straight sets to the World No. 35, by a scoreline of 6-4, 6-2, resulting in an early exit from the tournament in Doha.

The loss further extended Zheng's disappointing start to the season, following her earlier exit at last month's Australian Open, where she was eliminated in the second round by Germany's 97th-ranked Laura Siegemund.

Jabeur will next face the USA's 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. The Tunisian's victory over Zheng was her first win against a Top-10 opponent since last year's Madrid Open, despite battling injuries.

In other action, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock defeat in the second round. The Belarusian was knocked out by Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 in a tense encounter lasting more than two-and-a-half hours.

Also heading home early is the USA's Coco Gauff, who fell in straight sets against Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk. Gauff squandered a healthy lead in the second set, as Kostyuk sealed a 6-2, 7-5 victory.

Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina eased into the last 16 as well, after seeing off the USA's Peyton Stearns in her opening match. The fifth seed cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 win, despite a late wobble, to set up a third-round match against Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova.