ATP roundup: Medvedev begins Dubai title defense with victory

Daniil Medvedev, the reigning champion, defeated Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan 6-3, 7-5 on Tuesday in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Medvedev withdrew from two recent tournaments due to fatigue and a right foot injury, so this is the top-seeded Russian's first on-court appearance since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final.

Medvedev will face Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who defeated India's Sumit Nagal 6-4, 5-7, 6-1. The latter saved two break points in the second set, 5-5, before tiring in the third set of the 2-hour, 19-minute match.

Karen Khachanov, the fourth seed, defeated Luca Van Assche of France 6-2, 6-3.

Ugo Humbert, the fifth seed from France, defeated countryman Gael Monfils 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, while eighth-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain defeated Fabian Marozsan of Hungary 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

Movistar Chile Open

In the first round in Santiago, Chile, Luciano Darderi of Italy defeated Argentina's Facundo Bagnis 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5).

In a match that lasted 3 hours and 19 minutes, each player broke serve only twice, both times in the second set. Darderi failed to convert two match points in the second-set tiebreaker.

Darderi took command of the third-set tiebreaker, leading 5-2. Bagnis won the next three points to draw level before Darderi won the final two.

Earlier Tuesday, Argentine qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo defeated fifth-seeded Yannick Hanfmann of Germany, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Eighth-seeded Jaume Munar defeated Spanish compatriot Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-4, 6-1.

In an all-Chilean match, Tomas Barrios Vera defeated Cristian Garin 7-6 (3), 7-5. Other first-round winners included Argentina's Thiago Agustin Tirante, Peru's Juan Pablo Varillas, Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas, and Brazil's Thiago Seyboth Wild.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel

Daniel Altmaier defeated top seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in an all-German first round match in Acapulco, Mexico.

Altmaier saved six of seven break points on his serve in a match with only one break per set. The decisive break occurred in the second game of the third set, and Altmaier held on to defeat the 2021 Acapulco champion.

In other action, Frances Tiafoe defeated Max Purcell of Australia 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Purcell had a statistical advantage but Tiafoe came through in crucial moments, saving seven of eight break points on his serve.

Second-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark defeated US qualifier Michael Mmoh 6-2, 6-3, while fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece defeated Russia's Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-4.

Casper Ruud, the sixth seed from Norway, defeated Christopher Eubanks of the United States 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3. Germany's Dominik Koepfer defeated French qualifier Terence Atmane 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.

Three days after Jordan Thompson won the Mifel Tennis Open in Los Cabos, Mexico, U.S. qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic defeated him 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Serbia's Dusan Lajovic defeated Mexican wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez 6-2, 6-2.

SportsLigue