In the opening round of the 2023 ATP Dubai Open on Tuesday, world number one Novak Djokovic will play qualifier Tomas Machac, who is ranked 130th in the world.
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When you successfully complete your qualifying rounds, win both of them, and are then paired with Novak Djokovic in his current form, it is that sort of luck. Also, the competitor you defeated in the qualifying rounds advances as a lucky loser but starts against a much easier foe. That’s exactly what happened with Machac, who won the first qualifier against Marton Fucsovics before defeating Matteo Arnaldi in the second to go to the main draw. Machac has yet to claim a victory at the top level; this is the third ATP competition this year that he will play in the first round. Although competing against Djokovic will be a unique experience for him, there is a very slim window of chance because the world number one will be out of the game for a month. The number one should have no trouble being prepared, but Machac will hope—probably against hope—that Djokovic is a little rusty. Even with that, does Machac have the skills to defeat even a player of average caliber, let alone Djokovic?
Djokovic will make a comeback to tennis after his last appearance at the Australian Open, where he won the trophy despite struggling through the first few rounds due to an injury. Given what had happened in Melbourne the year before, it was his 22nd Grand Slam victory and one of his most dramatic. Not to mention the 3 cm rupture in his left hamstring that kept him from competing for the majority of the match. He returned to the top of the rankings tables thanks to his victory at the Australian Open. After winning the title, he has managed to hold the top spot, breaking Steffi Graf’s record for the most weeks as the player with the highest ranking, male or female. Novak Djokovic, a five-time victor in Dubai, is now riding a 17-match winning streak that began at the ATP Finals last year. Given the level of composure, Djokovic has displayed after being barred from competing in last year’s US Open due to his anti-vaccination views, he may not have advanced past the quarterfinals at this tournament last season, but that may very quickly change.
| Novak Djokovic vs Tomas Machac | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 28, 2023 |
| Surface | Hard |
| Tournament | Dubai Championship |
| Stage | Round one |
| Time (India) | 12:30 P.M. (can be changed) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6-3, 7-64, 7-65 (W) |
| Tommy Paul | 7-5, 6-1, 6-2( W) |
| Andrey Rublev | 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 (W) |
| Alex De Minaur | 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 (W) |
| Grigor Dimitrov | 7-67,6-3, 6-4(W) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Matteo Arnaldi | 6-0, 6-1 (W) |
| Marton Fucsovics | 4-6 6-2 6-4 (W) |
| Alexandre Muller | 4-6 7-67 6-1 (L) |
| Vit Kopriva | 7-62 7-67(W) |
| Jan-Lennard Struff | 6-4 6-3 (L) |
Djokovic and Machac have never met in a previous match. This will be the first time they will face each other. Despite his extended absence from the game, Djokovic should have no issues and should prevail in two sets.
Novak Djokovic and Tomas Machac will take on each other in the first round of the 2023 ATP Dubai Championship on February 28.
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