Djokovic in easy first-round in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- World No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic rolled through a first-round win Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Djokovic dispatched fellow Serb Viktor Troicki 6-1, 6-4 in 67 minutes. He dropped only nine points -- three on serve -- in the first set. Troicki recorded a break in the second set but Djokovic had two and advanced.

Michael Llodra ousted fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 while winning 70 percent of the points on serve and Nikolay Davydenko upset No. 6-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 6-0, 7-5 by cashing six of his 17 break opportunities.

No. 3-seeded Tomas Berdych needed just 54 minutes to post a 6-1, 6-3 rout of Rajeev Ram. He lost only six points in eight games serving. Fourth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro was pushed a to the edge before he finished a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win over Marcos Baghdatis in 2 1/2 hours.

Also Tuesday, as the first round was completed, Dmitry Tursunov topped Jan Hajek 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Tobias Kamke beat Mikhail Kukushkin 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Marcel Granollers defeated Albert Montanes 6-3, 6-1; and Victor Hanescu advanced when, after Hanescu went up 3-2, Bernard Tomic retired.