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Kyrgios through in Dubai

Nick Kyrgios is through to the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships after beating Slovakia's Martin Klizan in three sets.

Nick Kyrgios from Australia.
Nick Kyrgios is through to the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Nick Kyrgios is through to the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships after coming from a set down to beat seventh-seeded Slovak Martin Klizan in a bad-tempered encounter on Tuesday.

Kyrgios prevailed 3-6 6-3 6-2 just hours after stepping off a plane from Europe where he won his first ATP event in Marseille at the weekend.

The 20-year-old Canberran got up to his usual tricks of fast play, mixed with moments of apparent nonchalance as he beat a frustrated Klizan, who was unhappy at his opponent's refusal to remain seated during the 90-second changeovers.

At times Kyrgios looked like he could not be bothered before suddenly switching without warning to top form, but he said his performance was down to the change of conditions.

"Both of us were playing really average today," Kyrgios said.

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"I thought we both struggled with the conditions. Obviously it was really fast and the ball was flying a lot.

"For me it was completely opposite conditions to what I played (indoors) last week.

"I barely hit at all here, maybe half an hour today, and I wasn't feeling great. I'm just happy I got through. I was actually pretty excited to get here and play."

Kyrgios' bitter foe, second-seeded Stan Wawrinka, survived a miserable start to turn the tables on Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky 5-7 6-3 7-5 and squeeze into the second round.

The two-time Swiss grand slam winner is playing the tournament for the first time in eight years and needed a set and a half to find his feet.

Wawrinka had to battle with Stakhovsky last week in Marseille, saving two match points and winning the third set in a 10-8 tiebreaker.

After trailing a set and a break, the Swiss won five straight games to level at a set each. He then moved into winning position in the third with a break for 6-5 and a game later, he finished it all off with an ace in two hours.

"It's a good win, a great win for me," Wawrinka said.

"Not playing well, still winning, still fighting, still finding a way, playing a little bit better at the end, trying to be the aggressive player on the court.

Wawrinka next faces Croatian qualifier Franko Skugor, who beat Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2 6-3.


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