Andrey Rublev has begun his ATP Dubai Championships title protection with a 7-5 6-2 win to spoil Filip Krajinovic’s birthday.
Krajinovic, who turned 31 on Monday, had appeared set for a dream day, surging 5-2 forward earlier than the second-seeded Rublev reeled off 11 of the following 13 video games.
Rublev subsequent faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who beat Malek Jaziri in straight units within the Tunisian’s last skilled match.
Earlier, Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis continued his promising begin to the yr by beating France’s world No.73 Quentin Halys 6-Four 7-6 (11-9).
Kokkinakis has bounced again nicely after his heartbreaking defeat in 5 units by Andy Murray on the Australian Open, successful a Challenger title in Bahrain, the place he beat Jordan’s Abedallah Shelbayh within the last.
Alexander Zverev beat the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka 4-6 6-Three 6-4.
Lehecka received 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 yr in his comeback from an ankle harm.
“These sort of matches are extraordinarily vital for me proper now,” Zverev stated.
“I discovered a technique to win.”
Murray, the 2017 Dubai winner, pulled out of the occasion citing a sore hip after struggling to succeed in the Doha last on Saturday.
He misplaced in Qatar to Daniil Medvedev, who’s seeded third in Dubai.
High seed Novak Djokovic will play his first match since successful the Australian Open when he takes on Czech qualifier Tomas Machac on Tuesday.
