Updated

Wildcard Flavia Pennetta of Italy survived four match points in the second set before pulling off a 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 first round win over lucky loser Julia Goerges of Germany in the Dubai Tennis Championships on Sunday.

"I was almost crying on the court today because I was feeling so bad," Pennetta said.

The 10th-seeded Pennetta trailed 5-2 in the second set at Dubai Tennis Stadium but held serve and went on to close out the set with an ace in the tiebreaker.

Pennetta led 4-1 in the decider before Goerges briefly rallied.