Novak Djokovic won on his return to the ATP Tour following his Australian Open triumph but he had to work hard to beat Czech qualifier Tomas Machac 6-3 3-6 7-6(1) in his Dubai Tennis Championships opener yesterday.
Djokovic, who surpassed Steffi Graf’s record for the most weeks as world number one after starting his 378th at the top of the rankings, moved with ease and showed no lingering effects of the hamstring tear he managed at Melbourne Park last month.
But there were some signs of rust especially on Djokovic’s serve, which seemed to fail him midway through the opening set, before he regained control and took the early advantage in the match when Machac sent a return long.
The five-times Dubai champion was in a spot of bother while trailing 3-0 in the next set after dropping serve again and made 16 unforced errors to allow big-hitting Machac to take the contest into a decider.
Machac began to struggle with a right wrist issue early in the third set and Djokovic pounced for a 3-1 lead but the Czech mounted a comeback with a break of his own to level at 4-4 with some superb ball-striking along the way.
Machac blinked first in the tiebreak and Djokovic did not need another invitation as he finally quelled the world number 130 to extend his 2023 winning streak to 13 matches. “Tomas didn’t play like a world number 130. He played great tennis and deserves all the applause. He was giving me all kinds of trouble but when it mattered most I found another gear,” Djokovic said.
“Physically I can be better. I demand the highest standards in quality of tennis and preparation.
“I have struggled with an injury and needed some time. But I’m hoping as the tournament progresses that I can raise the level of tennis as well.”
Djokovic next plays Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.
Rotterdam and Qatar ExxonMobil Open champion Daniil Medvedev, the third seed from Russia, had earlier eased into the next round after dispatching Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-4 6-2.
Felix Auger-Aliassime had a tougher outing against American Maxime Cressy but the fourth seed prevailed 7-6(4) 3-6 6-3 while Melbourne semi-finalist Karen Khachanov crashed to Botic van de Zandschulp who sealed a 7-5 6-2 win.

Injured Nadal out of Indian Wells Masters
Three-time event winner and 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the ATP 1000 at Indian Wells because of injury, tournament officials said yesterday.
The news comes after the Spaniard said in late January he expected to miss six to eight weeks with the hip flexor injury he sustained at the Australian Open.
“We wish Rafa continued healing, and hope to see him back at the BNP Paribas Open next year,” tournament director Tommy Haas said in a statement.
Nadal said on January 26 that tests had confirmed a moderate muscle tear in his left hip that did not require surgery.
It’s not clear if Nadal will be ready to return for the ATP 1000 at Miami, the second leg of the “Sunshine Double” which follows on the heels of Indian Wells, starts on March 8 in the California desert east of Los Angeles.
Nadal will more likely target being ready for the clay-court season in mid-April, leading into Roland Garros in May where he will be chasing a 15th French Open title.
Nadal, who made history as the first man to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles at the 2022 Australian Open, hobbled out of this year’s edition in January after just two matches.
He said in Melbourne he had had the problem for “a couple of days” but at that point had not received a diagnosis.
Nadal, whose stellar career has been marked by injuries, was adamant that he would continue playing.
“From here on, I guess when things move forward, the right decisions will be made because what I want is to continue playing tennis,” he said.
Last year Nadal was undefeated heading into Indian Wells, having posted victories in an Australian Open tune-up in Melbourne before rallying from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final.
He won the ATP tournament in Acapulco and reached the final at Indian Wells, where he was stunned by American Taylor Fritz in the final as he battled a rib injury. He returned to win his 22nd Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, a record that Novak Djokovic has since matched.