Rublev, Zverev, rally to reach second round of Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Fans witness an action-packed first day at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as top seeds progress – but not without a few scares on the way

Dubai, UAE – February 27, 2023: Defending champion Andrey Rublev recovered from an early scare against Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic to book his place in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday night. And then Alexander Zverev did likewise, dropping his first set before fighting back to secure safe progress.

Rublev, the No.2 seed here this week, fought back from 2-5 down in the first set to win 11 of the next 13 games and close out the match, 7-5, 6-2. The world No.6 had entered Centre Court under the lights to great applause as he started his campaign to become the first back-to-back champion in Dubai since Roger Federer in 2015. Yet he saw his service game immediately broken by Krajinovic, who started so well he found himself serving for the set in close to half an hour.

Asked what was going on inside his head during those early struggles, the 2021 Olympic Gold medallist responded: “Crazy things. Filip is one of my good friends and we always have tough battles. So today I was going on court thinking that it was going to be a really tough match, and when he started the way he did, I didn’t know what to do because he was playing so good.

“Somehow I calmed myself and said ‘OK, restart at the bottom and raise my level’ and I started to play much, much better. I was able to turn the match around and finish the match in a good way.”

Chasing a sixth ATP 500 title, Rublev grew as the match went on, hitting eight aces and converting four of his six break points. Next up, he will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who defeated Tunisian wildcard Malek Jaziri in what was the Arab trailblazer’s final match before lowering the curtain on his 20-year career. In Monday’s opening match on Centre Court, another wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia beat Quentin Halys in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (9).

MORE: Malek Jaziri retires from professional tennis at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

In fact, on opening day on Centre Court, only Zverev and Czech opponent Jiri Lehecka needed all three sets. The highly rated Lehecka took the first set with some aggressive play, but the gangly German–ranked world No.16 after a lengthy spell out through injury–improved in the second and edged the third to secure his place in the second round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.

“It obviously wasn’t my best match, especially in the first set, but it was very important for me to turn it around,” Zverev, the No.7 seed here this week, said. “It was very important for me to find a way to win, especially at the stage I’m in right now. I’m happy I did that. I’m sure I’ll play better in the next match.”

Photos: ATP Day 1 action at the 2023 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Meanwhile on Court One, Lorenzo Sonego defeated Marc-Andrea Huesler, 7-5, 6-2 before Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands beat France’s Constant Lestienne, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Australian wildcard Alexei Popyrin–a former ballkid at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships–also narrowly lost to qualifier Pavel Kotov, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3).

Grab Your Seats

Tickets for the 31st Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships are on sale at dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com, starting from Dh55. Tickets are also available at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium Box Office between 9am and 9pm daily. The ATP Tour 500 tournament runs from February 27 to March 4.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.