DOHA, Qatar — Victoria Azarenka has defeated Jelena Jankovic in the WTA Tour's season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in the first round-robin group match.

Azarenka took advantage of the Serb's shaky forehand to win 6-2, 6-3 Tuesday in Doha, Qatar. She took a step closer to the knockout rounds of the lucrative tournament.

Azarenka broke the error-prone Jankovic five times and converted her first match point with a forehand winner down the right line.

Later Tuesday, second-ranked Serena Williams will face Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. Venus Williams will play Elena Dementieva.

The tournament features the top eight players in the world, with four women in each group. The top two from each group advances to the semifinals.