Two-time finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas made a winning start at the ATP 500 event in Dubai. The Greek defeated Lorenzo Sonego 7-6, 6-3 in an hour and 37 minutes. Tsitsipas recovered from a terrible loss to Hamad Medjedovic in Doha.
He prevailed in the opener against Sonegoand sealed the deal with a single break in set number two. The 4th seed dropped 13 points in 11 service games and lost serve once from two chances offered to his rival. The Italian struggled behind the second serve.
He played against six break points and lost serve two times. Stefanos landed 20 winners and 22 unforced errors and had the upper hand from the baseline.
They served well in the opening six games. Lorenzo missed a volley in the seventh game and suffered a break. The Italian pulled it back a few minutes later when Tsitsipas' volley landed wide. Sonego saved two break points in game nine, and the set went into a tie break.
The Italian led 3-0 before dropping five straight points. Stefanos drew the rival's mistake for 6-4 and two set points and seized the first for 7-6 in 59 minutes. The Greek served well in the second set and kept the pressure on the other side.
Lorenzo sprayed a forehand error in the eighth game and faced two break points. Tsitsipas landed a sharp return on the first, drawing the rival's mistake and moving 5-3 in front. The Greek served for the win in game nine and held at love with a powerful serve to move through.
Giovanni Mpetschi Perricard followed the Greek into the second round. The Frenchman defeated Zhizhen Zhang 6-3, 7-6 in an hour and 27 minutes. Giovanni played his first match in almost a month and performed well against the struggling opponent.
Mpetshi Perricard denied both break points and converted one of seven opportunities on the return. The Frenchman hit 37 winners and 21 unforced errors. He hit fewer service winners than Zhang but had the upper hand from the baseline.
Giovanni served well in the opening set and kept the pressure on the other side. Zhizhen hit a double fault in the fourth game and fell 3-1 behind. Mpetshi Perricard served for the set at 5-3 and held at love with a forehand winner, clinching the first part of the duel in 38 minutes.
Zhang denied two break points early in the second set and served well in the remaining ones. He generated two set points on the return at 6-5 after the rival's double fault. Mpetshi Perricard denied them with service winners and introduced a tie break.
The young gun landed a crafty forehand down the line winner in the point and moved 3-0 up with an ace. The Frenchman secured another mini-break for 4-0 and landed two winners on serve for 6-1 and five set points. Giovanni converted the third with a smash winner and moved over the top.
