Andrey Rublev has begun his ATP Dubai Championships title defence with a 7-5 6-2 win to spoil Filip Krajinovic’s birthday.
Krajinovic, who turned 31 on Monday, had seemed set for a dream day, surging 5-2 forward earlier than the second-seeded Rublev reeled off 11 of the subsequent 13 video games.
Rublev subsequent faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat Malek Jaziri in straight units within the Tunisian’s closing skilled match.
Earlier, Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis continued his promising begin to the 12 months by beating France’s world No.73 Quentin Halys 6-4 7-6 (11-9).
Kokkinakis has bounced again properly after his heartbreaking defeat in 5 units by Andy Murray on the Australian Open, profitable a Challenger title in Bahrain, the place he beat Jordan’s Abedallah Shelbayh within the closing.
Alexander Zverev beat the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka 4-6 6-3 6-4.
Lehecka gained the pair’s first match-up in January in Sydney, and beat Rublev in Doha final week earlier than blowing 5 match factors within the semi-final in opposition to Murray.
Zverev continues to be ready to win consecutive matches this 12 months in his comeback from an ankle damage.
“These kind of matches are extremely important for me right now,” Zverev mentioned.
“I found a way to win.”
Murray, the 2017 Dubai winner, pulled out of the occasion citing a sore hip after toiling to achieve the Doha closing on Saturday.
He misplaced in Qatar to Daniil Medvedev, who’s seeded third in Dubai.
Top seed Novak Djokovic will play his first match since profitable the Australian Open when he takes on Czech qualifier Tomas Machac on Tuesday.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
