Tennis
Novak Djokovic missed a surprising opening defeat at the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai. The world number one needed almost 2:30 hours on Tuesday to defeat the 22-year-old Czech Tomas Machac 6:3 3:6 7:6 (7/1). It was only the 22nd match on the ATP tour for number 130 in the world.
Undefeated this season, Djokovic meets Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the second round, who defeated Frenchman Constant Lestienne. “Machac gave me big problems,” said five-time Dubai champion Djokovic about the qualifier. The 35-year-old himself did not play much tennis before the tournament due to injury problems.
In the first set, Djokovic went according to plan at 6: 3, after which a break was enough for the underdog to prevail in the second round with the same result. The deciding set couldn’t be surpassed in terms of tension, Machac saved himself after the rebreak to make it 3: 4 in the tie-break, in which he had no chance.
Djokovic, who has held the sole all-time record since Monday with 378 weeks at the top of the world rankings, also wants to win his third tournament of the season in Dubai – after the successes in Adelaide and at the first Grand Slam event of the year in Melbourne.
The Russian Daniil Medvedev showed no weaknesses in Dubai in a 6: 4 6: 2 against the Italian Matteo Arnaldi. In return, Medvedev’s compatriot Karen Khachanov lost 5:7 2:6 against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.