Djokovic Learns Path To Title In Dubai
Making his first appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships since 2016, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will face 2018 semi-finalist Malek Jaziri in the opening round.
The 32-year-old, who owns a 36-6 record at the ATP 500 event, is returning to action for the first time since lifting a record-extending eighth Australian Open title last month. Four-time Dubai titlist Djokovic’s most recent win in Dubai came against Jaziri en route to the quarter-finals in 2016.
Chasing his first Dubai trophy since 2013, the 17-time Grand Slam champion could face Philipp Kohlschreiber or Mohamed Safwat in the second round. Djokovic shares the top quarter of the draw with seventh seed Karen Khachanov.
Headlining the second quarter of the draw is third seed Gael Monfils. The in-form Frenchman enters Dubai on a nine-match winning streak, having lifted back-to-back titles on indoor hard courts in Montpellier and Rotterdam. Monfils will attempt to improve his 13-2 record this year when he meets Marton Fucsovics of Hungary in the first round.
The 10-time tour-level titlist is joined in the second quarter by fellow Frenchmen Benoit Paire and Richard Gasquet. Eighth seed Paire will face former World No. 3 Marin Cilic in his opening match. Cilic owns a 5-1 ATP Head2Head record against Paire, which includes a five-set victory in their most recent encounter at the Australian Open last month.
Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas leads the way in the bottom half of the draw. Last year’s runner-up will begin his Dubai campaign against Rotterdam semi-finalist Pablo Carreno Busta. The winner of that encounter will face Hubert Hurkacz or Marseille semi-finalist Alexander Bublik in the second round.
Fifth seed Roberto Bautista Agut occupies the remaining seeded position in the bottom quarter. The 2018 champion will be aiming to extend his three-match unbeaten ATP Head2Head record against Jan-Lennard Struff in the first round.
Fourth seed Fabio Fognini and sixth seed Andrey Rublev will compete in the third quarter of the draw. Fognini will make his debut in Dubai against Daniel Evans, while Rublev opens his bid for a third trophy this year against a qualifier. Rotterdam semi-finalist Filip Krajinovic and Delray Beach semi-finalist Yoshihito Nishioka also feature in the third quarter.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/2T3KUuU
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