Shapovalov overcomes service struggles, 1st-set loss to win opening match in Dubai
Canadian avenges 2020 Australian Open loss to Hungary's Marton Fucsovics
Canada's Denis Shapovalov advanced to the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Hungary's Marton Fucsovics on Tuesday.
Shapovalov had eight aces in the match and broke Fucsovics four times on seven chances.
However, the No. 6 seed from Richmond Hill, Ont., struggled with his serve at times. He committed six double-faults and posted a 64 per cent accuracy on his first serves.
Shapovalov evened his career record against Fucsovics at 1-1. It was the first meeting between the two players since Fucsovics eliminated Shapovalov in the first round of the 2020 Australian Open.
WATCH | Shapovalov completes comeback on Fucsovics in Dubai:
Shapovalov will next face Japan's Taro Daniel, who moved on with a 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over Belgium's David Goffin. Shapovalov won the only other meeting between the two in the 2019 Australian Open.
Rublev advances on heels of 9th tour title
Second-seeded Andrey Rublev beat Daniel Evans 6-4, 7-5 in the first round on Tuesday, just two days after winning his ninth tour title.
The Russian, who defeated Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final at the Open 13 tournament in Marseille on Sunday, next faces Soonwoo Kwan after the South Korean beat Ilya Ivashka 6-3, 6-2.
The seventh-ranked Rublev also won the doubles title in Marseille with Ukrainian partner Denys Molchanov.
"I arrived at the hotel maybe at 2 a.m. today," Rublev said in his on-court interview Tuesday. "I slept maybe six or seven hours. I was thinking that probably no chance for me to win, and here I am, I won my first round so I'm really happy. I cannot imagine a better start."
WATCH | Shapovalov eliminated in Australian Open quarter-finals:
Karen Khachanov will face top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the second round after the Russian beat Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-7 (1), 7-5.
On Monday, Djokovic won his first match of the year when he beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3. The top-ranked Serb couldn't defend his Australian Open title last month because he was deported from the country for being unvaccinated.
Other action on Tuesday
Fourth-seeded Jannik Sinner outlasted Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 and will next face Andy Murray.
American qualifier Mackenzie McDonald topped seventh-seeded Aslan Karatsev of Russia 7-5, 6-3 to set up a second-round match against Filip Krajinovic of Serbia.
With files from The Associated Press
