Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic opened his sixth title at the Dubai Men’s Tennis Championships with a hard-fought two-sets (6-3, 3-6, 7-) victory over world number 130 Czech Tomas Machak. 6), in the match that brought them together yesterday. The total prize money is $2.9 million at the end of the first round of the match, which is currently being held at the “Dubai Duty Free” stadium in the Garhoud area of ​​Dubai, until March 4th.

Serbian Djokovic needed an hour and 27 minutes to seal victory and book his place in the round of 16, where he will meet today, world number 39 Dutchman Talon Kriegspoor, with Kriegspoor struggling to make his way through. In the second round he defeated world number 56 Constant Lestin of France in two sets (6–4, 3–6 and 7–6).

In the first-round finals, world number nine Canadian Felix Agar Al-Aliassim needed three hours to defeat world number 36 American Maxime Cressy by two sets to one (7). -6, 3-6, 6-3), which saw the Canadian beat Swiss world champion Lorenzo Soneko in the second round, before defeating the Swiss mark in the same round. World No. 51 Andrea Hassler in two sets (7-5, 6-3).

In one of the first surprises of the tournament, Dutch world number 33 Bottish van de Jantsholp defeated Russian world number 14 Karen Kachanov, with Bottish winning in straight sets (7-5, 6-2) in a match that lasted one hour and 34 minutes. Sweden’s Mikael Ymir Jantsholf, the second seed at 59, took on Jandsholf, Ymir defeated Italian world number 110 Francesco Passaro in two clean sets to book his spot (6-2, 6-3).

The surprises continued as world number 92 Australian Christopher O’Connell entered the tournament as a wild card, defeating world number 56 Finland’s Amy Rossofori in straight sets. Answered (7-6, 6-4) in a close two-hour match.

Christopher will now face seventh-ranked German tennis star Alexander Zverev in the second round today, after the German’s hard-fought victory over Czech Jiri Licha on the opening day, two sets to one (4-6, 6-3, 6-4).

Al-Janahi retired from doubles

Emirati tennis player Abdul Rahman Al Janahi, along with Syria’s Karim Al Alaf, crashed out in the first round of the doubles yesterday, losing in straight sets to Bosnia’s Tomislav Brgic and Ecuador’s Gonzalez Escobar. (6-1, 6-3), in a match limited to 50 minutes, played on the third sub-court of the tournament host “Dubai Duty Free”.