Alex de Minaur defeated Miomir Kecmanovic at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals. But Kecmanovic got his revenge on Monday evening at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, rallying past the Aussie 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 59 minutes to reach the second round.

Kecmanovic, the World No. 50, is just three spots off his career-high FedEx ATP Ranking. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season, reaching the semi-finals at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and the New York Open.

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Kecmanovic made it clear from early in the match that he wanted to control play against the speedy De Minaur. But at first, the Aussie had the answer for Kecmanovic’s aggression from the baseline, winning 71 per cent of his second-serve return points in the first set.

The Serbian did not back down, though, saving all eight break points he faced in the final two sets to triumph. This was De Minaur’s first match since pushing Rafael Nadal to three sets in the semi-finals of the ATP Cup in Sydney. Kecmanovic will next play top-seeded Nadal or his fellow Spaniard, Pablo Andujar.

Tommy Paul won an all-American battle against Mackenzie McDonald 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4 to set a potential clash against second seed Alexander Zverev, who opens against qualifier Jason Jung. Paul is at a career-best World No. 66.

Frenchman Adrian Mannarino also advanced, ousting wild card Cameron Norrie 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. The lefty will next play seventh seed and 2014 champion Grigor Dimitrov or qualifier Damir Dzumhur.

Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild could be a player to watch in this year’s ATP Race To Milan. And on Monday, the 19-year-old showed why in Santiago.

The wild card defeated Argentine Facundo Bagnis 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 to reach the second round of the Chile Dove Men+Care Open. Seyboth Wild saved seven of the eight break points he faced to triumph after one hour and 47 minutes.

The teenager, who is at a career-high No. 182 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, entered the season with one tour-level win. But Seyboth Wild has earned a tour-level victory in consecutive weeks, defeating 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a three-hour, 50-minute epic last week at the Rio Open presented by Claro.

Seyboth Wild, who is pursuing his first ATP Tour quarter-final, will next play eighth seed Juan Ignacio Londero or Federico Coria.

Sixth seed Hugo Dellien also won a three-setter on the first day of main draw action, battling past 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Dellien will next play home favorite Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, a wild card, who rallied past Spanish qualifier Carlos Taberner 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Barrios Vera had never previously competed in an ATP Tour main draw. His only ATP Tour qualifying effort came last year in Antalya, where he lost in straight sets.

In the other singles match of the day, Roberto Carballes Baena won an all-Spanish clash against Jaume Munar 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, setting a second-round match against eighth seed Thiago Monteiro or Argentine Leonardo Mayer.

Rafael Nadal is back in action for the first time since the Australian Open at this week’s Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. And although the World No. 2 is the top seed and a two-time former champion in Acapulco, he knows it’ll take a special effort to triumph at this ATP 500 event.

“It’s a very tough tournament. It’s one of the best tournaments of the world, one of the most beautiful tournaments of the world,” Nadal said. “That attracts the best players, so it’s always a very tough draw here. But that’s nice and that’s very positive for the tournament.”

Watch Nadal Pre-Acapulco Interview:

Nine of the Top 25 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings are in the draw, including five men who have cracked the Top 10 in their career.

Nadal has great memories in Acapulco, winning the title or reaching the final in three of his four appearances en route to a 15-2 record. The lefty’s 2005 title here was his third ATP Tour trophy, and he also triumphed in 2013, when he’d eventually finish as year-end World No. 1 for the third time. Both of his Acapulco triumphs came when the tournament was played on clay.

“This event was the biggest one until that moment that I won [in 2005]. After that I started to achieve a lot of important things. I won in Costa do Sauipe the week before and then I won here the week after,” Nadal said. “It was like the beginning of something special.

“When I won here in 2013 it was probably a key moment in my career because I came back after very long knee injury. I won in Sao Paulo, but with a lot of problems, without playing very well. But I came here and I played great again. Winning here made me feel confident again. Then I played very well in Indian Wells, too, so 2013 was even more special than 2005.”

The event isn’t just special for Nadal because of what he’s accomplished on the court.

“[I speak the] same language. Nice people, always very friendly people. Every time that I am here I feel a little bit like [I am at] home,” Nadal said. “I enjoy being around here. I know the tournament, I know the people who organise the tournament and the crowd always has been amazing with me. So I’m very excited to be back here in Mexico. Enjoying every single moment and just hoping to be ready for the action.”

Nadal will begin his tournament against countryman Pablo Andujar. If he wins the tournament, marking his 85th tour-level title, Nadal will force Novak Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to retain World No. 1 next Monday. But no matter the results, the Spaniard expects to have a great time at the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year in the 2019 ATP Awards.

“I think everything is easy, everything is very close in front of the sea, inside the resort, good atmosphere, good tournament organisation,” Nadal said. “The feeling is you are not in a typical tennis tournament. You are playing a tournament, but in a holiday atmosphere. That really makes us feel great here.”

Rafael Nadal is this week challenging Novak Djokovic for the No. 1 FedEx ATP Ranking.

Nadal is the top seed at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco. If the Spaniard lifts his third trophy at that ATP 500, he’ll force Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to retain World No. 1 on Monday.

Nadal is only defending 45 points this week since he lost in the second round in Acapulco last year. Djokovic, who did not compete this week in 2019, currently leads Nadal by 325 points, giving him a 370-point cushion for the week.

Watch Nadal Pre-Acapulco Interview:

If Djokovic advances to the quarter-finals in Dubai, he’ll add 90 points, leaving room for Nadal to reclaim top spot if the Spaniard takes the Acapulco title. The Serbian got off to a good start in Dubai with a straight-sets win against Malek Jaziri, putting him two victories away from guaranteeing he will retain World No. 1.

Djokovic next faces German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who defeated him last year in Indian Wells. The top seed could play powerful Russian Karen Khachanov, the seventh seed, in the quarter-finals. Djokovic is 14-0 on the season, and he is a four-time champion in Dubai.

Nadal, the top seed in Acapulco, begins his tournament against countryman Pablo Andujar. He is trying to return to World No. 1 just five weeks after relinquishing his position after the Australian Open, where Djokovic won a record-extending eighth title.

Both men have finished year-end No. 1 five times, joined in that feat by Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors. Pete Sampras holds the record for most year-end No. 1 finishes with six.

Djokovic has held World No. 1 for 279 weeks, putting him eight weeks from surpassing Sampras on 20 April for second in FedEx ATP Rankings history. That is, unless Nadal takes back top spot.

Gael Monfils extended his winning streak to 10 matches on Monday with a 6-4, 7-5 win against Marton Fucsovics at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

The third seed needed just under two hours to record his sixth victory in nine matches at the ATP 500 tournament. Monfils, who reached the semi-finals at this event last year, improves to 2-0 in his ATP Head2Head series against Fucsovics.

Monfils has won 14 of his 16 matches this year, highlighted by trophies earlier this month in Montpellier and Rotterdam. The only players to beat the Frenchman this year are Australian Open finalists Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem. Monfils will meet Yasutaka Uchiyama or Yen-Hsun Lu in the second round.

Andrey Rublev began his own bid for a third title of 2020 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Lorenzo Musetti. The sixth seed won 84 per cent of first-serve points (26/31) to earn his 14th victory in 16 matches this season.

The 22-year-old made an impressive start to the season with title runs in Doha and Adelaide, becoming the first man since Dominik Hrbaty in 2004 to open the year with two ATP Tour trophies in as many weeks. Since the start of the year, Rublev has risen nine positions to a career-high No. 14 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

The four-time ATP Tour titlist will meet Joao Sousa or Filip Krajinovic for a place in the quarter-finals. Rublev has reached the quarter-finals or better in three of his four tournament appearances this year.

Two-time semi-finalist Richard Gasquet also advanced on Monday. The 33-year-old withstood 13 aces to beat Lloyd Harris 7-6(5), 6-4. Gasquet will face countryman Benoit Paire or former World No. 3 Marin Cilic in the second round.

Michael Venus and John Peers began their bid for a first team title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday, beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-4 in 61 minutes.

In their fourth event as a team, Peers and Venus saved three of four break points to improve to 3-3 this season. Last month, the unseeded duo made its team debut at the ASB Classic and also reached the Australian Open third round.

Venus and Peers will meet defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury or Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals. That first-round match will begin Tuesday’s evening session on Court 1.

Rotterdam finalists Henri Kontinen and Jan-Lennard Struff beat Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares 7-6(2), 7-6(4) to continue their run of form. The Finnish-German team will meet second seeds Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek or wild cards Matthew Ebden and Leander Paes in the quarter-finals.

In his first Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships appearance since 2016, Novak Djokovic extended his unbeaten start to the 2020 ATP Tour season with a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Malek Jaziri.

The World No. 1 landed 22 winners and did not face a break point to improve to 14-0 this year after exactly one hour. Djokovic quickly found the level he showcased throughout the opening month of the season, where he won each of the 13 matches he contested during title runs at the ATP Cup and the Australian Open.

“It’s a great way to start out the tournament,” said Djokovic. “As I’ve said in the press conference prior to the tournament, I miss playing here. I really enjoy it. I enjoy night sessions… I think I’ve done everything as well as I imagined it to be for the first match. Of course, there’s things that always can be improved, things that can be better. But I have to be satisfied with the performance.”

Djokovic is chasing his fifth title in Dubai this week. The 32-year-old owns a 37-6 tournament record, highlighted by tournament victories in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013. In Djokovic’s only previous ATP Head2Head clash against Jaziri in 2016, he also defeated the Tunisian 6-1, 6-2 at this event.

Djokovic will face 2014 semi-finalist Philipp Kohlschreiber for a spot in the quarter-finals. Kohlschreiber recovered from a set down to move past Egyptian wild card Mohamed Safwat 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Djokovic leads the German 11-2 in their ATP Head2Head series, which includes three victories from four encounters in 2019. At last year’s BNP Paribas Open, Kolschreiber stunned Djokovic in straight sets to reach the Round of 16.

“I lost to him in straight sets in Indian Wells last year. I am aware of what he’s capable of,” said Djokovic. “He likes actually playing top players on a big stage. He has lots of experience. He’s very fit. He keeps on playing even at that age on a high level.

”I certainly will not underestimate him… I will prepare myself. I’m feeling good on the court. Tonight was another testament to the way I feel. [I have] confidence. [I am] obviously striking the ball well. Hopefully that can continue in the next match.”

Karen Khachanov was tested in the early stages of his opening match, before charging to a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory against Mikhail Kukushkin. After recovering from a break down on two occasions in the first set, the 23-year-old dropped just one point behind his first serve in the second set (10/11) to complete the win after 90 minutes. Khachanov improves to 8-5 this season with his second victory in four appearances at the ATP 500 event.

“There were some difficult moments during the match,” said Khachanov. “I was a break down two times. That’s really great to keep that first set. I think it was [an] important one.”

The World No. 17 levels his ATP Head2Head series against Kukushkin at 1-1. The Kazakh beat Khachanov in the pair’s only previous tour-level ATP Head2Head clash at the 2014 VTB Kremlin Cup.

“It was not [an] easy opening match. Always first round is pretty tough… I’m really happy I could get the win,” said Khachanov. “I have another match, another opportunity to play better, like always, to improve.”

Khachanov advances to a second-round encounter against wild card Prajnesh Gunneswaran or Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak. The Russian is competing in the top quarter of the draw, which is headlined by World No. 1 and four-time champion Novak Djokovic.

No. 18 Cristian Garin (Career High), +7
The Chilean extended his winning streak to a personal-best nine matches to capture his second ATP Tour title in three weeks at the Rio Open presented by Claro. After lifting his third tour-level crown at the Cordoba Open, Garin continued to produce his best tennis in South America to beat Andrej Martin, Federico Delbonis, Federico Coria, Borna Coric and Gianluca Mager and claim his maiden ATP 500 crown.

Just 10 months ago, Garin did not own an ATP Tour trophy. The 23-year-old, who improves to 4-1 in tour-level finals, leaps seven positions to crack the Top 20 in the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time at No. 18. Read More and Watch Highlights.

No. 39 Reilly Opelka, +15
As the fourth seed, Opelka became the fourth American champion in the past five editions of the Delray Beach Open presented by VITACOST.com. The 6’11” right-hander overcame two-time champion Ernests Gulbis, Mackenzie McDonald and Soonwoo Kwon to reach the semi-finals.

Due to rain, Opelka was forced to contest his semi-final on the same day as the championship match. The American saved match point against Milos Raonic in that contest, before completing double duty to take the title against Yoshihito Nishioka. Opelka climbs 15 spots to No. 39 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Read More.

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No. 48 Yoshihito Nishioka (Career High), +15
The Japanese star reached his second ATP Tour championship match at the Delray Beach Open presented by VITACOST.com. Nishioka defeated fifth seed John Millman, Noah Rubin, Brandon Nakashima and sixth seed Ugo Humbert to reach the final. After his three-set loss to Opelka in the championship match, the 24-year-old jumps 15 places to a career-high No. 48 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

No. 77 Gianluca Mager (Career High), +51
Mager entered the Rio Open presented by Claro with just two tour-level victories to his name. But the Italian enjoyed a breakthrough week in Brazil, winning 12 of 13 sets from qualifying to reach his first ATP Tour final. En route to the championship match, Mager stunned Buenos Aires champion Casper Ruud and World No. 4 Dominic Thiem in straight sets. The 25-year-old soars 51 spots to a career-high No. 77 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Other Notable Movers
No. 28 Borna Coric, +4
No. 32 Milos Raonic, +5
No. 47 Alexander Bublik (Career High), +8
No. 60 Pablo Cuevas, -14
No. 61 Aljaz Bedene, -14
No. 65 Egor Gerasimov (Career High), +7
No. 67 Laslo Djere, -31
No. 69 Radu Albot, -18
No. 79 Attila Balazs (Career High), +27
No. 83 James Duckworth, -12
No. 89 Mikhail Kukushkin, -20
No. 94 Hugo Dellien, -16