Novak Djokovic wins first match of 2022 at Dubai Tennis Championships

By George Ramsay and David Close, CNN

Updated 2020 GMT (0420 HKT) February 21, 2022

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(CNN)World No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-3 6-3 in his first match of the year at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday.

A month on from when he was deported from Australia ahead of the Australian Open, Djokovic returned to the tennis court to loud cheers in Dubai for a tournament he has won on five previous occasions. And it took him just one hour and 14 minutes to wrap up the victory against 19-year-old Musetti and set up a second-round meeting with either Karen Khachanov or Alex de Minaur, who play on Tuesday.«I couldn't ask for a better reception. It's been a while since I played the last match — I couldn't pick a better place to kick-start the season,»