Defending Champion Djokovic, Murray Advance To Second Round

© Barclays Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsAndy Murray has twice reached the Dubai quarter-finals.

Djokovic and Murray through first challenges

Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4 6-4 and Australian Open finalist Andy Murray overcame a spirited challenge from Russian qualifier Igor Kunitsyn to win 6-2 6-3 to progress to the second round of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday. But there was drama in both of their straight-set victories.

Djokovic lost an early break against Garcia-Lopez but then induced a backhand error on break point at 5-4 to take the opening set. The Serb then worked his way to a 5-0 lead in the second set, but struggled to finish. He won the next four games as Djokovic twice failed to serve out the match, but the number two seed finally ended the contest with a winning forehand.

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"It was not pleasant coming from 5-Love to 5-4 and him serving to get back into the match," said Djokovic. "But it was all my fault, you know. I think I lost the focus. I was playing well all the way up to 5-Love and then just lost it. But, you know, it's the first match outdoors since Australia, so still getting used to the conditions. And I'm sure next match is going to be better."

Murray and Kunitsyn were involved in an extraordinary game early in the first set, as the second game stretched to 34 points, 14 deuces and 24 and-a-half minutes before Murray eventually broke to lead 2-0 on his ninth break point opportunity. It is considered one of the longest games in the Open Era (since 1968).

The Scot went on to break again for the set when Kunitsyn made a backhand error, but then he hit his first double-fault of the match to drop his serve at the beginning of the second.

A forehand winner allowed him to break back immediately for 1-1, and with his serve working well and eventually producing 13 aces Murray was able to edge ahead against an opponent who rallied with accuracy and persistence. After holding off a break point to hold for 3-2 Murray broke again to lead 4-2 when his opponent hit a backhand wide, but he still needed to work hard to finish off the match.

Murray faced a break point as he served at 5-3, but he saved that with a service winner, hit an ace to set up match point and a forehand error from Kunitsyn gave him the match.

"The second game was incredibly long," said Murray. "That was actually probably a perfect match for me because it was quite a lot of long rallies and long points and long games. That helped probably physically, but just a bit sore. I wasn't expecting to play my best tennis and expect to hit the ball unbelievably clean. But, you know, I served well when I needed to."

In other matches, Austrians Jurgen Melzer and Stefan Koubek both claimed straight-set victories. Melzer defeated Italian Simone Bolelli 6-1 7-5, and qualifier Koubek upset former two-time finalist Feliciano Lopez of Spain 7-6 6-4. Viktor Troicki beat Germany’s Rainer Schuettler to set up a second round clash with fellow Serb Djokovic, and Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic struggled but overcame Czech qualifier Jan Hernych 6-2 6-7 6-4.

The only seed to fall was number eight Gilles Simon of France, but he was playing just his second match of the year because of a knee injury. The Frenchman was beaten 7-6 6-4 by charismatic Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who had his own problems with a stomach upset which led to him leaving the court at 5-4 in the opening set.

There was regional interest in the doubles as Mahmoud-Nader Al Baloushi of the UAE partnered Kuwait’s Abdullah Magdas against Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Max Mirnyi of Belarus, who won 7-5 6-0.

Play at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, which is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, continues until February 27th.