Dubai, UAE - World number two Dinara Safina has written off her 6-4, 6-2 opening defeat Tuesday at the Barclays Championships as a "bad day" as the Russian failed to recover after losing the Australian Open final.

Victory by Virginie Razzano of France marked the second straight loss for the Russian, who said she was well off her game.

"It was not my day, I just couldn't play my game," said Safina, who had won three of four matches against the number 58 Razzano. "I played worse in this loss than I did in Melbourne."

Safina went down 6-0, 6-3 against Serena Williams in the Grand Slam final two weeks ago.

"Today was one of my worst days, now all I can do is forget and it get ready for Indian Wells (next month). When it's not your day, nothing you do matters."

Third seed Jelena Jankovic had better luck, getting on and off court easily over unconventional Romanian Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-2.

The Serb a finalist in 2005, needed a fast adjustment from indoor play in wintery Paris to the mid-20s Celsius of the Gulf.

Niculesco, ranked 48th, strikes the ball double-fisted off both wings in a style similar to that of Frenchman Fabrice Santoro.

"She's an unusual player with a lot of slice and drop shots. You always have to expect anything.

"I was so glad to win in two sets and get off the court as soon as possible."

Jankovic lost the number one ranking at the Australian Open as Williams took over the top spot.

Fifth seed Vera Zvonareva won a Russian clash over Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-3 while number six Venus Williams crushed Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-0, 6-1

Two French seeds advanced to the third round, with Alize Cornet beating German Julia Schruff 6-1, 6-2 and Marion Bartoli defeating Italy's Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-3.

The tournament continues to be rocked by fallout from the banning of Israeli Shahar Peer by the government, which denied her a visa and provoked a firestorm of controversy.

Reports are circulating that the future of the event on the WTA is in serious doubt. The ATP may face a similar situation next week at the event if Israeli doubles player Andy Ram is also denied.

Organizers said in a Tuesday statement that the Peer decision was taken for security reasons and her presence could have provoked protests or a boycott from the public in the moderate Arab emirate after last months Israeli bombing of Gaza.

Peer, ranked 45th, put out a statement of her own, saying she was "confident that the Tour will take appropriate actions to ensure that this injustice is not allowed to occur in the future, and that the Tour will make sure I will not be further harmed in the short and long term." (dpa)