Canadian top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime overcame a tense finish to defeat Zhang Zhizhen in the Dubai ATP 500 first round, setting up a clash with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

TOP seed Felix Auger-Aliassime survived a nervy conclusion to his opening match at the ATP 500 event in Dubai on Monday. The Canadian eventually defeated China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) but required six match points to secure the victory.

“I stopped counting at some point, it was getting too frustrating,” Auger-Aliassime admitted after the match. He reflected on the psychological challenge of closing out a tight contest, noting the pressure can play tricks on a player’s mind.

The world number 10, who was the runner-up in Dubai last year, has been in strong form this season. He has reached the final in his last two tournaments, winning the title in Montpellier before finishing as a finalist in Rotterdam last week.

Auger-Aliassime’s next opponent will be French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Perricard earned his first tour-level win since January by edging past Tunisian qualifier Moez Echargui in a dramatic three-set battle.

The Frenchman’s powerful serve was decisive, firing 29 aces throughout the match. He saved a match point in the final set tie-break before clinching a 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4) victory with an ace on his own match point.

In other action, Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka continued his farewell season with a straight-sets win over Benjamin Hassan. The 38-year-old triumphed 7-5, 6-3 in front of a supportive crowd that included his former Davis Cup and Olympic teammate, Roger Federer.

The victory marked Wawrinka’s 10th tour-level win since turning 40. This achievement sets a new record for the most wins by a player over 40 in the Open Era.

 The Sun Malaysia