Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: Heather Watson beaten by Kateryna Kozlova

Heather Watson made a disappointing return to WTA Tour action as she was sent crashing out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in the first round by world No 132 Kateryna Kozlova.

In her first tour match since losing to Tsvetana Pironkova in the opening round of the Australian Open last month, Watson was broken once in the first set and three times in the second by the 20-year-old Ukrainian qualifier in a 6-4 7-5 defeat.

British No 1 Watson, who was involved in Fed Cup action earlier this month, had fought back from a set down to beat Kozlova in their only previous meeting, which came in the French Open qualifiers last year.

However, despite putting up a fight in the second set on Monday as she broke back twice, the 22-year-old - ranked 43rd in the world - could not avoid an early exit.

Venus shines

Defending champion Venus Williams eased into the third round with a straight sets victory over highly-regarded Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic.

Bencic, the winner of both the Wimbledon and French open junior titles and last year's WTA Tour newcomer of the year after rising 179 places to number 33, frequently hit the ball very hard and sometimes brilliantly.

But Williams' fitness levels and playing standard are higher than for many a year to complete a 6-1 6-2 rout.

My strategy is a lot better than five or six years ago, and now I have a backhand slice and actually start to use it, even when I'm not playing better.

"I'm pleased to have been able to get into a position to win some matches" said Venus, who has won ten out of 11 this year so far. "Once you win some it helps you to have that momentum.

"My strategy is a lot better than five or six years ago, and now I have a backhand slice and actually start to use it, even when I'm not playing better."

Karolina Pliskova advanced to the second round after beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2 6-4.

The 17th-seeded Pliskova reached the third round at the Australian Open, then went to Canada to play for the Czech Republic in the Fed Cup. After that, she reached the semi-finals at a tournament in Belgium and then travelled to Dubai.

"In the second set I had a break, and then I was feeling I'm sleeping a little bit," Pliskova said. "But then I (came) back and I'm happy that I didn't go (to) the third set."

Also, 11th-seeded Lucie Safarova beat Monica Puig 6-1 6-4 and 16th-seeded Peng Shuai defeated lucky loser Elena Vesnina 7-5 6-1.

CoCo Vandewegh was trailing Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 3-1 when the American retired from the match with a shoulder injury.