Djokovic maintains winning return; Nadal sails through

IMAGE: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates successful his second spherical match towards Russia’s Karen Khachanov. {Photograph}: Suhaib Salem/Reuters

World primary Novak Djokovic impressed once more at his first event since being deported forward of the Australian Open, beating Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(2) to succeed in the Dubai Championships quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Simply as towards Lorenzo Musetti in his opening match right here on Monday, Djokovic obtained loads of vocal help from a big crowd on the Aviation Membership and responded with some dazzling tennis below the lights.

The 20-times Grand Slam champion dominated the opening set after breaking serve within the fourth sport with a winner.

It was way more of a battle within the second set as Khachanov recovered from an early break of serve to degree the set at 4-4.

Djokovic was pressured to tug out all of the stops to fend off a fired-up Khachanov, forging forward within the tiebreak and claiming victory on his first match level.

The Serbian is competing for the primary time this yr after his Australian Open hopes had been dashed when he was deported following an 11-day saga revolving round his resolution to not have a COVID-19 vaccination and a controversial exemption he had been granted to play within the occasion.

Medvedev makes successful begin

IMAGE: World No 2 Daniil Medvedev is seeking to ascend to the highest rating for the primary time by displacing Serbian Novak Djokovic, who’s competing on the Dubai Tennis Championships. {Photograph}: Hector Vivas/Getty Photos

Russia’s Daniil Medvedev defeated Benoit Paire of France 6-3, 6-4 within the first spherical of the Abierto Mexicano event in Acapulco on Tuesday to get his quest for the world primary rating off to a successful begin.

World quantity two Medvedev is seeking to ascend to the highest rating for the primary time by displacing Serbian Novak Djokovic, who’s competing on the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Djokovic will likely be pressured to relinquish the crown even when he wins Dubai for a sixth time, supplied the Russian wins the ATP 500 occasion in Acapulco, the place he’s making his event debut.

“If Novak wouldn’t be taking part in, then possibly it could be somewhat bit extra in my thoughts as a result of it could solely be me and it relies on what I can do,” Medvedev stated.

IMAGE: Rafael Nadal misplaced simply 4 factors on his serve whereas breaking his opponent 3 times to race to his eleventh consecutive win within the 2022 season. {Photograph}: Hector Vivas/Getty Photos

Taking to the primary showcourt after Medvedev’s win, Rafael Nadal breezed previous One centesimal-ranked American Denis Kudla 6-3 6-2 in his first match since successful the Australian Open final month for his twenty first Grand Slam title.

The 35-year-old Spaniard appeared to have some issues with the humidity on a heat evening within the coastal resort city and determined to save lots of as a lot vitality as he might, sealing the competition in 76 minutes together with his sixteenth forehand winner and twenty sixth general.

Nadal misplaced simply 4 factors on his serve whereas breaking his opponent 3 times to race to his eleventh consecutive win within the 2022 season.

Medvedev’s contest additionally gave the impression to be a one-sided affair when Paire dumped a dull forehand into the web handy the Russian the primary set in 51 minutes. However Paire flexed his muscle within the second, attacking the Russian’s serve for a 4-2 lead.

Enjoying for the primary time since his defeat to Nadal within the Australian Open last, Medvedev stored his focus and outworked the Frenchman in a back-and-forth deuce sport to degree at 4-4 and sealed the win when Paire’s backhand sailed into the web.

“It is all the time not simple to return again after some relaxation and a while off competitors,” Medvedev stated. “Typically higher, typically worse.

“I felt like my sensations weren’t on the high right this moment, however I managed to battle till the top towards a really robust opponent and I am joyful that I managed to win.”

In different contests, Italian world quantity six Matteo Berrettini gained the primary set 6-4 towards American Tommy Paul however retired with harm whereas trailing 1-5 within the second.

Australian John Millman was additionally pressured to retire towards American Marcus Giron when he suffered a freak harm by hitting the tennis ball into his personal eye.

Raducanu retires with hip harm in last set of Guadalajara opener

US Open champion Emma Raducanu was pressured to retire with a left hip harm within the deciding set of her opening match towards Australia’s Daria Saville on Tuesday within the WTA 250 event in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The 19-year-old from Britain was taking part in her first match since final month’s painful exit within the second spherical of the Australian Open, when a blistered racket hand contributed to a three-set defeat by Danka Kovinic.

The British participant was two factors from victory on the Abierto Akron Zapopan towards former world quantity 20 Saville, who has slipped to 610 within the rankings after present process surgical procedure on her Achilles tendon final yr.

Serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3 Raducanu failed to shut out the sport with the Australian combating again to degree the competition at 1-1 within the tiebreaker.

Each ladies suffered bodily through the deciding set, with Saville battling leg cramps whereas the Twelfth-ranked Raducanu went off the courtroom for a medical timeout.

Raducanu returned along with her higher left leg closely taped and after two extra video games determined to stop with Saville main 5-7, 7-6 (4), 4-3 after three hours and 36 minutes – the longest WTA match of the season.