Australia’s Alexei Popyrin may meet countryman Alex de Minaur within the second spherical of the ATP 500 occasion in Dubai after notching his first win of the season over rising Lebanese participant Hady Habib.
Dubai, UAE, 24 February 2025 | Glenn Moore (AAP)
Alexei Popyrin has accomplished his half of the deal within the potential Dubai desert duel with Alex de Minaur.
The Australian No.2 dismissed Lebanese wildcard Hady Habib 6-2 6-4 in 65 minutes within the first spherical on the Dubai Open, setting him as much as play De Minaur within the second spherical, supplied the Aussie No.1 sees off Croatian veteran Marin Cilic on Tuesday.
One other Australian in motion on Tuesday in Dubai is Chris O’Connell, who faces sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov in spherical one.
Popyrin raced to a 4-0 lead towards Habib on Monday, dropping one level on his serve and exhibiting no indicators of the nerves which may have been anticipated given his final Tour-level win was in October, which got here towards former world No.1 Daniil Medvedev within the Paris Masters.
First win of the season ✅
Popyrin holds agency to defeat Habib 6-2 6-4 in Dubai 🫡#DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/FfKDzOLzem
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 24, 2025
Habib, ranked 141 locations beneath Popyrin at No.168 on this planet and who loved an historic Australian Open 2025 marketing campaign, did handle to get his serve firing to make his mark on the scoresheet.
However Popyrin wrapped up the opening set in simply 26 minutes, and after the Sydneysider was pressured to a deuce level in his opening second-set service sport, he survived and instantly broke Habib to place a stranglehold on the match.
Popyrin then solely conceded three factors in 4 service video games as he eased to victory.
Damage and sickness have hampered the 25-year-old’s begin to 2025, however he shall be hoping to sq. the ledger towards De Minaur at 2-2, having misplaced their most up-to-date conflict on clay in Monte Carlo final yr.
Different first-round winners on Monday included Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, and rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Discover your approach to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to hit the courtroom and have some enjoyable!
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