DUBAI — Playing for the first time since winning the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic came through with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Vasek Pospisil Tuesday in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. The top-ranked Djokovic won his fifth title in Melbourne at the beginning of the month. Also, third-seeded Andy Murray was given a workout by Gilles Muller of Luxembourg before securing a 6-4, 7-5 win, and fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych, a finalist at Dubai the last two years, beat Jeremy Chardy of France 7-6 (2), 6-4. The win put Berdych one victory away from claiming 500 match wins in his career. The 28-year-old Berdych is making his ninth appearance in Dubai and is bidding to go one step further than the past two years, when he finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2013 and Roger Federer in 2014. Berdych goes on to face Australian Open doubles champion Simone Bolelli, who defeated qualifier Lucas Pouille 6-3, 6-3. Seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut set a clash with Richard Gasquet as he defeated Austria's Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-2 in just 51 minutes. The Spaniard lost just 10 points on serve and broke the 21-year-old Thiem three times. Another young gun fell at the first hurdle as Marsel Ilhan dismissed 17-year-old Alexander Zverev 6-1, 7-6(4). Azarenka and Venus advance Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka beat Angelique Kerber 6-0, 6-3 in the first round of the Qatar Total Open Monday. The Belarusian, who won in 2012 and 2013, was forced to withdraw last year due to a foot inflammation. Meanwhile, eight-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams rolled the clock back with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 comeback win over Australia's Casey Dellacqua. Earlier in the opening match, Italy's Flavia Pennetta beat Former French Open champion Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in windy conditions. Mayer into 2nd round In Buenos Aires, No. 5-seeded Leonardo Mayer of Argentina reached the second round of the Argentina Open Monday, defeating Stephane Robert of France 6-0, 6-1. In another first-round match between unseeded players, Paolo Lorenzi defeated Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1. Rafael Nadal is the No. 1 seed. He has a bye into the second round of the clay-court event and plays Wednesday. — Agencies
