Dubai Championships: Richard Gasquet beats Marco Cecchinato for 550th career win

Dubai: Richard Gasquet defeated Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Dubai Championships for his 550th career victory on Monday. The 34-year-old Gasquet saved the only break point he faced and converted three of his own to become just the sixth active player to reach the 550 mark. He will go for his 551st against Hubert Hurkacz for a place in the third round. French compatriot Jeremy Chardy recovered from a set down to upset the ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Marton Fucsovics also had to rally to overcome Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. The Hungarian player will play the sixth-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta next. German player Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 6-2 for a second-round match against the third-seeded Denis Shapovalov. Qualifiers Lloyd Harris and Emil Ruusuvuori also progressed. Harris’ reward for beating Christopher O’Connell 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1 is a match against top seed Dominic Thiem, and Ruusuvuori defeated Jordan Thompson 6-3, 7-6 (5) for a meeting with the second-seeded Andrey Rublev. Bernabe Zapata Miralles of Spain beat John Millman 6-4, 6-4, while there were also wins for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Aljaz Bedene.