Dubai, Feb 24 (.) Felix Auger-Aliassime made a winning return to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, defeating China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 7-6(4) to advance to the second round on Monday.
The top-seeded Canadian, currently ranked No. 8 in the ATP standings, needed six match points to seal the straight-sets victory in his opening match of the ATP 500 event. Auger-Aliassime, who finished runner-up last year, is aiming to go one better in this year’s edition, as per the ATP Tour website.
“I stopped counting at some point; it was getting too frustrating,” Auger-Aliassime said after the match. “Having match points is the position you want to be in as a player, but it’s weird how the mind plays tricks on you.”
The 25-year-old, who retired in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this year, has since regained strong form. He has won nine of his last 10 matches, including a title in Montpellier and a runner-up finish in Rotterdam.
Auger-Aliassime saved all four break points he faced against Zhang and eventually closed out the match in the tie-break after missing five earlier opportunities. He will next face France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who defeated Tunisia’s Moez Echargui in three sets.
In another first-round match, Britain’s Jack Draper marked his return from injury with a 7-6(8), 6-3 win over France’s Quentin Halys. Draper, who had been sidelined since last year’s US Open, said he was pleased to be back competing.
“It feels so good to be out here competing in front of people,” Draper said. “I’ve been craving the feeling of competing for a very long time.”
Former champion Stan Wawrinka also progressed to the second round with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Benjamin Hassan. The 2016 winner recorded his 10th tour-level victory since turning 40, the most by any player in that age group in the Open Era.
Wawrinka’s match was watched by eight-time tournament champion Roger Federer, who was present in the stands to support his compatriot.
Wawrinka will next face either third seed Daniil Medvedev or China’s Shang Juncheng in the second round.
. VAN .