Davydenko Digs Deep For Victory

© Barclays Dubai Tennis ChampionshipsJo-Wilfried Tsonga was one of four seeds who won on Tuesday.

Russian joins other top seeds in second round

Nikolay Davydenko had to dig deep to overcome Frenchman Florent Serra and reach the second round of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday.

The fourth seeded Russian, who won the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London in November, eventually managed to dominate his opponent, but only after overcoming a crisis in the second set.

Having lost the first set on a tiebreak, Davydenko faced two break points at 4-4 in the second which would have left Serra serving for the match.. But he held off that threat, and then broke for the set at 5-4 when Serra made a backhand error.

The disappointed Frenchman offered little resistance in the final set as Davydenko swept to a 5-0 lead on his way to a 6-7 6-4 6-1 victory.

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‘Guess maybe it was too many mistakes from me," said Davydenko. "Normally I was same every tournament, come the first match I try to do no mistake, but no also winners. Just try to find control in the game and step by step find game, my game. And today I'm not fighting. I don't know with what, really. Balls were so fast, you know. It's very difficult control normal. Like say just play, just control balls was difficult. Not only do some winners."

The Russian had intended to arrive in Dubai a week early to acclimatise and prepare, but those plans were ruined when he fell and injured his wrist during a semi-final in Rotterdam.

"I have really problem. I was thinking I broke wrist," he revealed. "I have swelling three days. I cannot touch anything from left wrist. I don't know if I can play here. I come and I didn't know really I can play here. But start feeling little bit better. It's still pain, but I hope I could continue today match and really feeling good. It's not something really big problem. I hope my injury, you know, now recovering and I can play here and Davis Cup."

Croatia’s Marin Cilic continued his winning ways this season by defeating Arnaud Clement of France 6-2 6-4. The number six seed has now won 16 matches this year, claiming titles in Chennai and Zagreb, with his only defeat coming against Andy Murray in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. This month he celebrated reaching the world’s top 10 for the first time.

It was no surprise then that he put in a solid performance against Clement and didn’t face a break point until the final game. He got off to a perfect start by breaking serve to love in the opening game, and then solidified his advantage by breaking again for 5-2 and then serving out the set at love and finishing with an ace.

A Clement double-fault gave Cilic a break for 3-2 in the second set, and he held a further break point to lead 5-2. He failed to take advantage of that opportunity, and Clement then had the chance to extend the match when he held five break points to level at 5-5.

But Cilic rose to the challenge, saving three of those break points with aces before finally ending the contest with his seventh ace of the match.

Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman also reached the second round and a meeting with Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis by overcoming Italian-speaking Swiss Marco Chiudinelli 6-4 7-5. But Kuwaiti wild card Mohammed Ghareeb was forced to retire with a back injury against German qualifier Bjorn Phau after losing the first three games.

Fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga progressed after fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra retired after he held three set points but dropped the opening set to Tsonga in a tiebreak 11-9. And Russian seventh seed Mikhail Youzhny also came through, but he had to battle hard to overcome Slovak Lukas Lacko, taking two hours 39 minutes to win 6-7 7-6 6-1.

Spaniard Tommy Robredo swept aside Julien Benneteau of France 6-2 6-1, and Michael Berrer of Germany overcame Sergiy Stakhovsky from Ukraine 6-4 7-6.

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 and owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free, continues until February 27th.