Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2022 - Jannik Sinner saves three match points, Dan Evans loses to Andrey Rublev
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Updated 22/02/2022 at 18:22 GMT
20-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner had to survive three match points to beat Spanish opponent Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, while Dan Evans lost in straight sets to Andrey Rublev, with the Russian needing just 96 minutes to claim victory.
Highlights: Sinner save three match points, beats Fokina in three sets at Dubai Tennis Championships
Jannik Sinner squeezed past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while Britain's Dan Evans crashed out to Andrey Rublev at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday.
Sinner saved three match points as he almost lost to Davidovich Fokina. The fourth seed was able to hold on in the second-set tie-break and ultimately won the first round contest 4-6 7-6(6) 6-3.
“It was a very tough match,” The Italian said Sinner after the win.
“I know him, but we’ve never played against each other. It was the first time for both of us and it was a tricky one, saving three match points. On the first one I got lucky because it was out, but not so far.”
Sinner is the world No. 10 but found the Spaniard, ranked 33 places below him, offering tough resistance.
Five consecutive points won when 6-3 down helped him take the match to a third set, and that comeback gave him the momentum to push on to victory.
“It was a great start to the season,” he continued.
“I played well in Australia, now I’ve had some time off, changed some things and obviously I always try to go on court and try to improve. That’s my main goal, so let’s see how it goes.”
The win means that the 20-year-old will face Andy Murray in the second round.
One Briton who will not be joining Murray or Sinner is Dan Evans, who lost 6-4 7-5 to second seed, Russian Andrey Rublev. Rublev was building on his twin singles and doubles trophies in Marseille last week.
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Highlights: Rublev beats Evans in straight sets at Dubai Tennis Championships
Rublev will face South Korean player Soonwoo Kwon, who booked his place in the next round with a 6-3 6-2 win over Ilya Ivashka.
Meanwhile, Aslan Karatsev lost to Mackenzie McDonald 7-5 6-3, sending last year’s champion out. The American will take on Serbian Filip Krajinovic, who beat Malek Jaziri 6-7(4) 6-2 6-4.
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