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Novak Djokovic is at the top of the sport, World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for a record 378th week. After advancing to the quarter-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday, the Serbian made clear he has no intention of relinquishing his position without a fight.

“New generations are coming,” Djokovic said during his on-court interview. “But I’m not afraid.”

The 35-year-old paused before delivering the end of his message. And once he did, Djokovic cracked a wide smile. Whether the Serbian was joking or not, he has proven his words true.

Djokovic is now 14-0 on the season. Since the start of Rome last May, he has won 49 of his 52 matches, including 22 victories against Top 20 opposition.

During the World No. 1’s post-match press conference in Dubai after defeating Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3, a reporter asked about athletes throughout sports who were born in the 1980s — including himself, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James — succeeding later into their careers.

Novak Djokovic did not play competitive tennis for a month prior to this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Yet the World No. 1 appeared near his best in just his second match back on Wednesday, when he dismantled Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 500.

Djokovic had shown frustration during his three-set battle with Czech qualifier Tomas Machac in the first round on Tuesday, but the 35-year-old struck the ball cleanly from the start on Wednesday against Griekspoor. Djokovic broke the No. 39-ranked Dutchman four times to race to an 82-minute victory against one of the in-form players on the ATP Tour.

“It’s been a great evening for me tonight,” said Djokovic in his on-court interview. “Yesterday I really had to work hard to get a win. Tonight, right from the blocks, I think I was sharp. I played definitely better-quality tennis than I did last night.

“Maybe the last three or four games weren’t the best to close the match, but I managed to find a good serve in the end. I’m very pleased with the performance and with the way I felt on the court, and hopefully things can go in the right direction for tomorrow.”

The five-time Dubai champion crashed 29 winners in a scintillating display of baseline hitting. Griekspoor, who entered the match with a 12-3 record for the season, could do little to counter in the face of Djokovic’s charge, as the Serbian comfortably maintained his record of never having lost before the quarter-finals in 13 appearances in Dubai.

Andrey Rublev produced one of the comebacks of the 2023 season so far on Wednesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he came back from the brink to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 1-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(3) in a remarkable second-round clash.

Facing five match points at 1/6 in the second-set tie-break, Rublev’s title defence at the ATP 500 hung by a thread. Yet he stayed focused to reel off seven points in a row and level the match in dramatic fashion, before holding his nerve again in the decider for a stunning two-hour, 25-minute victory.

It was the third time this year that Rublev has saved match points to triumph, and the second time in a week. The 25-year-old saved two match points en route to victory against Holger Rune in the fourth round at January’s Australian Open, and three match points before he defeated Tallon Griekspoor in his Doha opener seven days ago.

“It happened already [three times] this season and I’m super happy that I’m able to win these matches against [top players],” said Rublev post-match. “The beginning [of today’s match] wasn’t good. I got frustrated. He started really well, he was hitting really hard, and I didn’t have many options, but then, little by little, I started to play and started to fight.

“I started to be positive, and I made this crazy tie-break comeback from 1/6 that I’ve never done in my life before… I’m really, really happy.”

On a busy doubles Tuesday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, each of the top three seeds were in action. Only one survived the opening round.

Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski downed the Mexican wild card duo of Hans Hach Verdugo and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 7-6(5), 6-3, avoiding the fate of their fellow seeds in Acapulco.

Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer, seeded second, were knocked out by Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez, who earned a 6-2, 3-6, 10-2 win. Third seeds Jamie Murray and Michael Venus also bowed out in a Match Tie-break, falling to Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler. The Austrians advanced in a thriller, 6-3, 6-7(7), 11-9.

Matteo Berrettini and Jacopo Berrettini were also in action on Tuesday, but the brothers were knocked off by Frenchmen Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul. The Rio semi-finalists advanced 6-3, 6-4. The Italian brothers were more successful in singles action on Tuesday as both advanced to the second round, with Jacopo scoring his first ATP Tour main-draw singles win in his first tour-level appearance.

[ATP APP]

Alex de Minaur drew the difficult assignment of playing the lone Mexican in the singles draw at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC on Tuesday night. Facing 17-year-old wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez and his home fans on the stadium court, the Aussie expertly navigated the tricky task with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

The eighth seed fired 25 winners in the match and saved the lone break point he faced, which came as he held for 5-2 in the second set. Pacheco Mendez grew into the match with the support of the Acapulco crowd, but could not overcome quick starts by De Minaur in both sets, with the Aussie breaking at the first opportunity in each.

"Its never easy, especially first match at a new tournament," de Minaur said after the one-hour, 16-minute victory. "These conditions are tricky. The opponent was tricky. I'm very happy with the performance, happy with the win, Hopefully we can build on that and go better and bigger for the next round."

[ATP APP]

De Minaur brought up match point with a belted backhand winner, then sealed the deal with an extraordinary defensive effort, his scrambling ultimately leading to a forehand miss from his opponent.

Jacopo Berrettini said it was probably the best night of his life when he qualified for his ATP Tour main-draw debut at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC on Sunday. On Tuesday evening, the 24-year-old Italian went one better by winning his first tour-level singles match in front of a packed Court 1 crowd in Acapulco.

Berrettini led Oscar Otte 3-6, 7-6(3), 2-1 when the German retired with a knee injury. The Italian saved a break point in his opening service game of set two and grew into the match after the crucial hold, ultimately claiming the second set with brave a forehand winner up the line. The match ended after Berrettini went up a break in the third set.

Earlier on Tuesday, brother Matteo Berrettini also advanced in Acapulco — ironically, also via retirement after building a 6-0, 1-0 lead against Alex Molcan on the stadium court.

[BREAK POINT]

Before his younger brother joined him in the last 16, Matteo reflected on Jacopo's milestone moment from Sunday's qualifying.

Just before the new year, Spain's Feliciano Lopez announced that he will say adios to life as a player on the ATP Tour this season. The 41-year-old will finish his career with farewell appearances at a select few tournaments, the first of which is this week at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

After more than 20 years as a professional, Lopez is finding it hard to say goodbye.

"Since I decided this is going to be my last year on Tour, it's been a little bit difficult because it's something that you don't want to do, because I love what I do," Lopez told ATPTour.com in Acapulco. "I have a passion for tennis. Even though I know this is my last year, I wish I could continue playing and it's a little bit sad. But on the other hand, I have to do it because I'm 41 years old and this is not going to be forever; I understand."

[ATP APP]

The former world No. 12 has made the most of his Acapulco wild card this week, earning his first tour-level singles victory since July 2021 with a 7-6(3), 6-4 win against Christopher Eubanks—a player 15 years his junior—on Monday night. It was his first competitive match in nearly five months.

Novak Djokovic suffered a scare Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where he needed to claw through a final-set tie-break to dispatch Tomas Machac. But the World No. 1 said there was good news beyond the result.

“I wasn't thinking about my leg today, which is great. It was not bothering me at all. That's great news,” Djokovic said. “But [an] injury is an injury. There's a muscle memory and it plays with your mind a little bit, it plays with your biomechanics, with your preparation for the shot, execution for the shot. I do feel a difference definitely comparing to the level that I had and the kind of execution I had in Australia.”

It was in Melbourne where Djokovic lifted his 10th Australian Open trophy despite battling through an injury, which noticeably hindered his movement in the early rounds. After finding a way past Machac, the 35-year-old is now 13-0 on the season.

“Of course, there's a lot to be happy about tonight. I think the fighting spirit was there. Tie-break was as good as it can be,” Djokovic said. “[I will] take it day by day and see where it can go.”

While Djokovic admitted he is still finding his best form, the Serbian also complimented Machac, who was trying to earn the biggest win of his career at the ATP 500 event.

Laslo Djere maintained his perfect first-round record for 2023 with a comfortable victory against Joao Sousa on Tuesday at the Movistar Chile Open.

The sixth-seeded Serbian prevailed 6-3, 6-2 at the clay-court ATP 250 and has now won all six opening matches he has played at Tour-level this season. Djere broke Sousa’s serve three times and did not face a break point in his 78-minute triumph, which booked him a second-round assignment against Italian qualifier Riccardo Bonadio.

Both of Djere’s ATP Tour titles (Rio de Janeiro in 2019 and Sardinia in 2020) were won on clay. The 27-year-old is competing at the Santiago tournament for the second time after he reached the quarter-finals in 2021.

Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Dusan Lajovic also enjoyed comprehensive first-round victories on Tuesday in the Chilean capital. Etcheverry took out former World No. 9 Fabio Fognini 6-1, 7-6(1) for a personal-best fourth tour-level win of the year. The 23-year-old next takes on second seed Francisco Cerundolo.

Lajovic defeated qualifier Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-1, 6-3, the pair’s second meeting in three weeks after the Serbian also prevailed in straight sets in Buenos Aires. Lajovic takes on qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo for a spot in the quarter-finals.

Carlos Alcaraz and Cameron Norrie withdrew from the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC on Tuesday, Alcaraz due to the right leg injury he aggravated in Rio de Janeiro and Norrie because of fatigue.

“Unfortunately I won't be able to play in @AbiertoTelcel. I have a grade 1 strain in my right hamstring that will keep me out for several days, according to the tests we did this morning,” Alcaraz tweeted. “I’m really sad I can't compete here, but now it's time to think about recovering and being ready as soon as possible. I hope to see you all soon!”

Unfortunately I won't be able to play in @AbiertoTelcel. I have a grade 1 strain in my right hamstring that will keep me out for several days, according to the tests we did this morning. pic.twitter.com/speM91ejom

Alcaraz owns an 8-1 record on the season after winning the Argentina Open and reaching the final of the Rio Open presented by Claro. The Spaniard missed more than three months following last year’s Rolex Paris Masters due to injury.

Norrie claimed the biggest clay-court title of his career in Brazil, where he battled past Alcaraz in the final. The left-handed Briton leads the ATP Tour in match wins this season with 18 (18-3).

Novak Djokovic remains unbeaten in 2023 — but only after the Serbian held off a ferocious challenge from Tomas Machac for a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(1) win Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Machac showcased some top-class shotmaking, particularly off the backhand wing, to roar back into contention after a fast start from Djokovic at the ATP 500. The World No. 1 was at times visibly frustrated at struggling to find his best level, but composed himself in trademark fashion in the deciding-set tie-break to ward off the upset and take a hard-earned two-hour, 28-minute victory.

Djokovic had led 4-1 in the third set before an inspired Machac rallied to take the 93-time tour-level titlist the distance in the U.A.E. Yet the Serbian held on for the win, and is now 13-0 for the 2023 season after previously winning an ATP 250 in Adelaide and a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam at January’s Australian Open.

Having finished his 2022 season by going unbeaten at the Nitto ATP Finals, Djokovic’s current winning streak now stands at 18. The World No. 1 is this week chasing his sixth title in Dubai, where he triumphed in 2009-2011, 2013 and 2020. His next opponent in the U.A.E. will be World No. 39 Tallon Griekspoor.

More to follow…

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the BNP Paribas Open due to injury, the tournament announced on social media Tuesday.

The Spaniard began his season at the United Cup before losing in the second round of the Australian Open to American Mackenzie McDonald. After his Melbourne exit, the 36-year-old underwent tests and reported the results to fans.

"Good afternoon. I have undergone medical tests after losing yesterday," Nadal wrote in January. "The MRI shows a grade 2 injury in the iliopsoas muscle in my left leg. Now it's time for sports rest and anti-inflammatory physiotherapy. Normal recovery time 6 to 8 weeks."

Three-time BNP Paribas Open Champion Rafa Nadal has withdrawn from the 2023 tournament due to injury.

“We wish Rafa continued healing, and hope to see him back at the BNP Paribas Open next year,” said Tournament Director Tommy Haas. pic.twitter.com/6TdzOT6qY9

Nadal last year reached the final at Indian Wells, the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. BNP Paribas Open Tournament Director Tommy Haas wished the lefty well.

Felix Auger-Aliassime earned victory on his debut at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Tuesday. However, he was made to work hard at the ATP 500 event, clawing past American Maxime Cressy 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3 to reach the second round.

The Canadian survived a serve-and-volley onslaught from a resilient Cressy, finding a number of stunning passing shots in pressure moments to triumph after three hours.

“He has not the most common game. But that is why he is difficult to play. You don’t have to face an opponent like him. He is quite unique and that is why I think he got me last time,” said Auger-Aliassime, who lost to Cressy at Wimbledon last year. “I think I was a bit unprepared and wasn’t able to stay as composed as I did today.

“I was sharp when I needed to. It was unfortunate it had to go three sets, but to be able to break him finally, for the first time since we’ve played together, was good.”

Auger-Aliassime arrived in Dubai off the back of a run to the semi-finals in Doha, where eventual champion Daniil Medvedev stopped him. The 22-year-old, who also fell to Medvedev in the quarter-finals in Rotterdam earlier this month, will next face Italian Lorenzo Sonego after improving to 8-4 on the year.

Taylor Fritz capped off his first day as a Top 5 player with a comeback, three-set win against countryman John Isner on Monday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. As the first American to earn a place in the Top 5 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings since Andy Roddick in 2009, the Break Point star is leading the pack of 10 men inside the Top 50.

While the 25-year-old appreciates the gravity of his achievement, both on a personal level and in the broader scope of American men's tennis, Fritz is doing his best to keep his focus on the task hand this week in Acapulco.

"It's obviously pretty exciting to be Top 5. I've known for about a week now that today was going to be the day that I'd be Top 5," said Fritz, whose Delray Beach title put him in position to move up two spots from World No. 7, passing Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev after both dropped points last week. "Now I just need to focus on the tournament week and not so much about the ranking."

He later added: "It's a huge honour to be the first American in the Top 5 since [Roddick] was and I'm hoping that I can take it even further."

New career high today ? https://t.co/vfI9ydv9wA

In a hotly anticipated Monday matchup of two of the ATP Tour's newest young stars, fourth seed Holger Rune edged Ben Shelton in the pair's first ATP Head2Head meeting.

In a 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-2 victory at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, the Dane won eight of the final 10 games to close out a match that hung on a knife edge until late.

Shelton saved two set points in a thrilling opening set tie-break before winning it, then erased another two at 4-5 in the second set, including one with a 120-mph second serve. But Rune took his third chance in the set two after battling back from 40/0 in the return game.

It remained tight in the final set until Rune rattled off the final four games from 2-2, sparked by the point of the match in which he outdid a Shelton tweener with a feathered half volley. The pair slapped hands after the thrilling exchange, and they met again at the net soon after when Rune won the final four games without being pushed to deuce.

Showtime in Acapulco ?

Pure magic from @holgerrune2003 and @BenShelton at #AMT2023! pic.twitter.com/zkm5bW4ItQ

After qualifying for his first ATP main-draw appearance, Jacopo Berrettini will make his singles tour-level debut on Tuesday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. The family-oriented Italian made his breakthrough during a very fitting week, with older brother Matteo Berrettini also competing at the Acapulco event.

The younger Berrettini had not won a set in his four previous ATP Tour qualifying attempts, and he lost a 6-0 opening set against France's Geoffrey Blancaneaux to begin his campaign this week. But the 24-year-old found a new gear to battle back in that match and then defeat fellow Italian Luciano Darderi, sealing his milestone achievement as his brother watched from the stands.

"On Sunday when I finished my match, I couldn't believe it," Jacopo told ATPTour.com. "Last night too, I didn't sleep very well, but it was probably the best night of my life."

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He enjoyed a beachside celebration with his brother and their shared team at the tournament's player party, but now is fully focussed on extending his run. After notching one win in two Portuguese ITF events earlier this month, Berrettini is settling into a new groove, leaning on his fighting spirit.

Novak Djokovic has been a serving machine so far in 2023.

Returning to action this week in Dubai as he notches a record-breaking 378th week at World No. 1, the Serbian is 12-0 on the young season, with titles at the Adelaide International 1 and the Australian Open. He leads the Tour with Service Games Won at 94.38 per cent (151/160) and sits third with Return Games Won at 32 per cent (48/150). When the world’s best returner is also the hottest server on Tour, it’s lights out for anyone standing on the other side of the net.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Djokovic’s serving prowess in his unbeaten run reveals three specific areas where the Super Serb creates significant separation from his opponents

1: Holding From 15/0 & 0/15
The first point of a service game helps to “set the weather” for the rest of the game. Djokovic is head and shoulders above his 12 opponents in securing a 15/0 lead and holding serve, and also holding serve when he drops the opening point.

Winning The First Point Of The Game
• Djokovic = 75 per cent (120/160)
• Opponents = 66 per cent (99/150)

Tomas Machac could hardly have been presented with a greater challenge in the first round at this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The Czech qualifier meets Novak Djokovic at the hard-court ATP 500 event, where he will try to become the first player to defeat the Serbian in the 2023 ATP Tour season.

Ahead of Machac’s clash with the World No. 1, ATPTour.com runs down five things to know about the 22-year-old.

His Sporting Idol Is Michael Jordan
Two years before Machac was born in 2000, Michael Jordan played his last game as a member of the Chicago Bulls. That hasn’t stopped the Czech from growing into a huge fan of both the Bulls and Jordan. 

“It is crazy what this guy did in his career,” said Machac of Jordan in an interview with ATPTour.com last year. “His achievements, the moments he had were unbelievable. I learned [from watching him that] some days if you don’t feel well or are sick or something goes wrong, you can still fight, you can still make yourself comfortable in that moment and improve something in your game.”

His Sister’s Love Of Tennis Changed His Life
Perhaps Machac would have been destined for a future in basketball were it not for his older sister, Katerina. She fell in love with tennis as a teen and regularly competed in tournaments from when Tomas was four years old. That paved the way for his development as a tennis talent.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo won two ATP Challenger Tour titles to start his season. Could this be the week he adds another ATP Tour trophy to his collection?

The Argentine qualifier battled past countryman Pedro Cachin 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Monday to reach the second round of the Movistar Chile Open.

“I’m really happy and I hope to keep working to get better,” Cerundolo said. “I still have a lot of things to improve so I need to keep working and see if I have better results.”[

The lefty dominated behind his first serve, winning 85 per cent of those points. Cerundolo saved two of the three break points he faced to advance after two hours and two minutes.

Another qualifier advanced earlier in the day when Yannick Hanfmann ousted defending champion Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-0.

Daniil Medvedev didn’t take too kindly to falling outside the Top 10 following the Australian Open.

Since he debuted in the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in July 2019, Medvedev had not spent a day outside the exclusive club until a straight-sets loss to Sebastian Korda in Melbourne saw him tumble from No. 8 to No. 12 after the year’s first major. That dropped like a punch in the guts.

But it was more than just the loss of his 2022 Australian Open finalist points that underpinned the former World No. 1’s exit from the Top 10. After four titles, including the US Open, and a 63-13 record in 2021, Medvedev went 45-19 last year with just two titles. [He did miss the clay season, save for Roland Garros, after a hernia operation.]

The man nicknamed ‘Bear’ responded to his Australian Open disappointment by winning consecutive titles at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam and the ATP 250 in Doha. This week in Dubai he will attempt for the first time in his career to win three consecutive titles.

“The defeat [in five sets to Nadal] at the Aussie Open last year was a killer,” said former World No. 4 and esteemed coach and analyst Brad Gilbert. “He also had some other things going on and he wasn’t the same player he’d been. After watching him at these last two tournaments, he looks like the same guy that was winning so much. To me the biggest thing is that his confidence is back.”