Defending champion Novak Djokovic and third-seeded Andy Murray advanced to the second round of the Dubai Championships Monday. The second-seeded Serb beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-4, 6-4 and Murray defeated Russia's Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-3 in Monday's first round of the $1.6 million tournament. The fourth-ranked Murray had a nervous start, with the first two games lasting more than half an hour. Kunitsyn kept it tight in the third game, but Murray held on for 3-0. The Russian player came back strongly in the next two games, holding his serve and breaking Murray to make it 3-2. But the 22-year-old Briton won the next three games and took the set with a superb forehand. Kunitsyn started the second set well, breaking Murray in the first game. But Murray broke back immediately and then held his serve comfortably to go 2-1 up. Murray then broke Kunitsyn a second time in the sixth game and thwarted the Russian's attempts to recover by holding his serve for a commanding 5-2 lead. Murray had to save a break point in the final game, sending down a cracking serve to get back to deuce, but Kunitsyn finally lost on an unforced error. Earlier Monday, Djokovic broke his opponent twice in the first set and three times in the second. Djokovic started well breaking Garcia-Lopez on his first serve to go 2-0 up, but the Spaniard broke back immediately. Games then went with serve until Garcia-Lopez, serving to stay in the set, double faulted to give Djokovic set point. The 22-year-old Serb dominated the second set and quickly took a 5-0 lead before Garcia-Lopez fought back, breaking Djokovic twice in the seventh and ninth games to make it 5-4. But Garcia-Lopez failed to hold on to his serve when it mattered most, allowing Djokovic to take the second set 6-4 and with it the match. Djokovic will play fellow Serb Victor Troicki next Wednesday. Troicki Monday won his opening match against German Rainer Schuettler, 6-3, 6-4. Also Monday, Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus knocked out eighth-seeded Gilles Simon and advanced to the second round with a straight-sets victory over the French player 7-6 (3), 6-4. Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia also advanced after defeating Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-4. Austrians Jurgen Melzer and Stefan Koubek advanced after both won in straight sets against Simone Bolelli of Italy and Feliciano Lopez of Spain. Melzer beat Bolelli 6-1, 7-5 and Koubek defeated Lopez 7-6, 6-4. Ferrero makes it 2 in a row Juan Carlos Ferrero completed a perfect two-week tour of South America with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory over fellow Spaniard and top seed David Ferrer in the Buenos Aires Open Sunday. Former world No. 2 Ferrero, the second seed, had won the Brasil Open in Costa do Sauipe last weekend, having chosen the claycourt tournaments in South America as part of his bid to climb back up the rankings. “This is an amazing feeling. When I left home I never imagined I'd have two weeks like these and beat such good players as David,” 2003 French Open champion Ferrero, who took his tally to 14 titles, said in a courtside interview.
