Bautista extends his joy

They met in Doha and continued their season hand in hand, in Dubai. Roberto Bautista and Alejandro Davidovich, however, with challenges as different as they are dangerous, separate their paths again. The first will be in the second round of the ATP 500 after beating the Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 6-3 and 6-4 in 01:06 hours of the game; the second, after falling to the Italian Janick Sinner 4-6, 7-6(6) and 6-3 in 02:31, leaves the Emirates on his debut day. The Valencian, in this way, after adding his tenth title and putting an end to three years of drought in the ATP circuit, extends his joy and the Czech Jiri Vesely, 28 years old and 123 in the world, will be measuredon one side of the table in which he could run into Novak Djokovic, with Karen Khachanov as his next rival, in the quarterfinals.

At the moment, it is very far. He has to think about the day to day and in Dubai, despite the fact that the bets were very favorable, Bautista had a tough nut to crack. In their only direct duel, Rinderknech had already surprised him. 6-2 and 6-4 in the most prestigious victory of the 26-year-old French tennis player. Then, he asserted a precise first serve, powered by the heights of Gstaad. This time, with an exultant Roberto, no trick was enough. 83% of the points to the first serve for the 15 in the world and, above all, 69% to the second in a duel in which he did not have to overcome any possible break. Rinderknech, for his part, succumbed in the two he had to deal with. An exercise in authority for the man from Castellón, which adds up to his fifth victory in a row in a tournament that he already won in 2018. Bautista starts off on the right foot… and going strong.

Davidovich forgives Sinner

Opposite luck for Alejandro Davidovich, despite a promising start to the game. Janick Sinner knew how to suffer to feed on the final doubts of the man from Malaga and will face Andy Murray, invited by the organization and champion in 2017 after beating Fernando Verdasco in the final, in the next round. Seeded fourth in the tournament and number ten in the world, the 20-year-old Italian returned to action after falling in the Australian Open quarterfinals against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Quarterfinalist in 2021 after beating Bautista himself, he forced Davidovich, 43 in the world, to break barriers in their first direct confrontation. The Spanish tennis player has only defeated a Top 10 once in his career, Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo. He will continue to be like that, despite enjoying three match points in the second set, in a key tiebreaker.

After an even first round, but dominated by the Spanish tennis player through an academic service (81% of points won with the first one compared to 66% for Sinner), the Italian got out of trouble and put Alejandro to the test, attracting him to the same position. A direct serve by Davidovich, already in the third set, to confirm three balls of break saved, she threatened to get back on track, but Janick already had victory in her eyes. He was gaining confidence in his serve at the same time that the tennis player from Malaga lost it. 2-4, break, raised fist and ratification of the sensations after surviving against the ropes: the track, tilted in his favor, ended in a wall for Alejandro, unable to become strong in his valuable service. Sinner, who did not close the rest, confirmed it on his turn.

Dubai ATP 500 results.