World number one Serbian Novak Djokovic inaugurated his sixth title in the Dubai Tennis Championships for men, with a difficult victory over Czech Tomas Machak, ranked 130 in the world, by two sets for one set (6-3, 3-6, 7-6), in a match that brought them together yesterday. At the end of the first round of the tournament, which is currently being held at the “Dubai Duty Free” stadiums in the Garhoud region in Dubai, and extends until the fourth of March, with a total prize money of $ 2.9 million.
The Serbian Djokovic needed an hour and 27 minutes to ensure victory and reserve his seat to the 16th round, in which he will meet today, the Dutchman Talon Griekspor, ranked 39 in the world, after Griekspor succeeded in making his way with difficulty to the second round by defeating Frenchman Constant Lestin, ranked 56 in the world, with two sets for one ( 6-4, 3-6, 7-6).
The competitions at the end of the first round also recorded the need for the ninth world number, Canadian Felix Auger Al-Aliassime, to take three hours to defeat the American Maxim Cressi, ranked 36 in the world, by two sets for one set (7-6, 3-6, 6-3), so that the Canadian will set a date in the second round with the seed. 67 over the Italian world champion Lorenzo Sonego, after the latter succeeded in the same round in defeating Swiss Marc-Andrea Hussler, ranked 51 in the world, by two sets without a response (7-5, 6-3).
In the first surprises of the tournament, the 33rd seed over the Dutch world Botish van de Zandsholb managed to eliminate the 14th seed over the Russian world Karen Khachanov, with Botish winning in two sets without a response (7-5, 6-2) in a match that lasted an hour and 34 minutes, to face Zandsholb in the second Swede Michael Ymir, ranked 59 in the world, after Ymir was able to reserve his seat by defeating the Italian world number 110, Francesco Passaro, with two clean sets (6-2, 6-3).
And the surprises continued their way, with the victory of the world number 92, Australian Christopher O’Connell, who participated in the tournament with a wild card, over the Finnish Amy Rossofori, ranked 56 in the world, by two sets without a response (7-6, 6-4) in a match that approached two hours.
Christopher set a date today in the second round with German tennis star Alexander Zverev, ranked seventh in the tournament, after the German’s difficult victory in the opening day over the Czech Jiri Lichka, by two sets for one set (4-6, 6-3, 6-4).
Al-Janahi bid farewell to the doubles competition
Emirati tennis player Abdulrahman Al-Janahi, accompanied by Syrian Karim Al-Allaf, left the doubles competition in the first round, after losing yesterday, to the duo consisting of Bosnian Tomislav Brkic and Ecuadorian Gonzalez Escobar, by two sets without a response (6-1, 6-3), in a match that was limited to 50 minutes. And it was held on the third sub-stadium of the “Dubai Duty Free” stadiums, hosting the tournament.
