Stan Wawrinka, the second seed and defending champion at the Dubai Open, was defeated in the first round by Damir Dzumhur, on Tuesday. The Bosnian won in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3 in an hour and 12 minutes.
Wawrinka failed to save all three break points on his serve, and though he got himself a timely break in the seventh game of the second set, while Dzumhur was serving for the match, it wasn’t enough to save him.
The world No 3 hit six aces as compared to his opponent’s two, and had 23 winners to Dzumhur’s 20, but also had more than twice as many unforced errors as Dzumhur – 29 to 11.
The 24-year-old next faces Marcel Granollers in the second round. The Spaniard had defeated Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely in their first round matchup.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!