Russia is paying a price for the success of its women players in 2004, a year which concluded with the capture of the Fed Cup for the first time. Yesterday the heroine of that historic victory over France, Anastasia Myskina, was sent packing from the Dubai Open. She followed her compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, the US Open champion, who was beaten on Tuesday. Myskina, the French Open winner last year, lost 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 to Patty Schnyder, the entertaining but unpredictable world No14 from Switzerland, which means two of Russia's three grand slam title-holders have not started 2005 as they might have wished.