Auger-Aliassime Battles Through in Dubai Opener
Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime made a successful return to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday, securing a hard-fought opening-round victory over China's Zhizhen Zhang with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (4). Auger-Aliassime, who was a finalist in the 2025 edition where he lost to Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas, demonstrated resilience throughout the match.
Despite saving all four break points he faced, Auger-Aliassime faced stiff resistance from Zhang, who remarkably saved five match points. Two of these were in the 10th game of the second set, and three more in the 12th game, forcing a tense tiebreaker that the Canadian ultimately clinched.
Next Challenge and Other Dubai Results
Auger-Aliassime's next opponent in the tournament will be French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who emerged victorious from a marathon match against Tunisian wild card Moez Echargui. The Frenchman won 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4) in a grueling two-hour and 36-minute contest, firing an impressive 29 aces.
In other Dubai matches, British No. 4 seed Jack Draper defeated French qualifier Quentin Halys 7-6 (8), 6-3, while Swiss wild card Stan Wawrinka overcame fellow wild card Benjamin Hassan of Lebanon with a score of 7-5, 6-3.
Chile Open and Mexican Open Highlights
At the BCI Seguros Chile Open in Santiago, Germany's Yannick Hanfmann dominated his first-round match against Dusan Lajovic of Serbia, winning the first seven games en route to a 6-0, 6-3 victory. Hanfmann showcased a 22-9 edge in winners and overcame 24 unforced errors in a tidy 74-minute performance.
Meanwhile, No. 7 seed Francisco Comesana survived a nearly three-hour battle, defeating Spaniard Pedro Martinez 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (4). Comesana saved one match point in the third set to advance, and will next face Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino, who beat Argentine qualifier Alex Barrena 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. In another match, Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic defeated Chile's Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
Kypson's Stunning Upset in Acapulco
At the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, qualifier Patrick Kypson pulled off a major upset by defeating Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) in the first round. This victory marks Kypson's first ATP Tour-level win in nearly two years. The 26-year-old American, ranked 103rd in the world, defeated a Top 10 player for the first time in his career.
Kypson overcame a formidable opponent in de Minaur, who was the Acapulco champion in both 2023 and 2024. Despite de Minaur serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set, Kypson converted his lone break point to level the set and ultimately triumphed in a tiebreaker.
In other Acapulco action, Spain's Rafael Jodar delivered another upset by defeating seventh-seeded Cameron Norrie of Great Britain 6-3, 6-2. Additionally, fourth-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain, sixth-seeded Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic, and the American duo of Brandon Nakashima and Aleksandar Kovacevic all advanced to the next round.
