World number 11 player Stefanos Tsitsipas had to dig deep to beat Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 6-4 to reach the second round at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Tsitsipas becomes the first player born in 1998 or later to reach 350 ATP Tour level wins. Tsitsipas reached two consecutive finals in Dubai in 2019 losing to Roger Federer and 2020 falling to Novak Djokovic and was quarter finalist in 2018.
Khachanov earned the first break in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. Tsitsipas broke straight back in the ninth game and held at 30 in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5.
Tsitsipas went up a a mini-break to take a 3-2 lead, but Khachanov pulled back to draw level to 3-3. Tsitsipas earned his second mini-break to clinch the first set tie-break 7-4.
Tsitsipas converted his sixth break point in the first game and held serve to love in the second game. The Greek player went up a double break to race out to a 4-0 lead. Tsitisipas closed out the second set onhis fifth set point after saving three break points in the eighth game. Both players went on serve until the 10th game when Tsitipas earned the decisive break to close out the third set 6-4. Tsitsipas has improved to 9-1 in his ten head-to-head matches against Khachanov. The Greek player is chasing his first title since he won in Monte-Carlo last April and his first trophy on hard-court since Los Cabos in 2023.
Tsitsipas set up a quarter final against Matteo Berrettini, who beat Christopher O’Connell 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 after 2 hours and 22 minutes. Berrettini fired 15 aces and did not face a break point.
Berrettini earned three break points but O’Connell saved them to hold serve. O’Connell fended off a break point in the 11th game. Both players went on serve until the tie-break. Berrettini earned three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2.
Berrettini converted his second break point in the second game with a down the line forehand to open up a 2-0 lead in the second set. The 2021 Wimbledon player sealed the win with a double break on his first match point in the eighth game.
