Novak Djokovic rallies past Viktor Troicki; Cilic, Baghdatis also advance in Dubai

Djokovic rallies past Troicki in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Defending champion Novak Djokovic rallied past Serbian countryman Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 at the Dubai Championships on Wednesday.

Up a set and 3-3 in the second, Troicki missed game point and Djokovic took over in the 93-degree temperatures.

“He was a better player for a set and a half,” Djokovic said. “I think this is one of the rare tournaments that you really feel (a) big, big difference between the day match and night match. The balls go really much faster, and as soon as the shade came on the court, I felt more control over my game.”

Fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko retired with a wrist injury after losing the first set 6-3 to Michael Berrer. Davydenko hurt his left wrist in Rotterdam two weeks.

“It’s disappointing for me because I didn’t recover fast enough,” said Davydenko, who is questionable for Russia’s Davis Cup team next week.

Marin Cilic came back from 6-3 down in the tiebreaker to beat Austrian qualifier Stefan Koubek 6-2, 7-6 (6) and improve his ATP Tour-best record to 17-1 this season.

He will meet another Austrian in the quarterfinals after Jurgen Melzer beat Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-3, 7-5.

Seventh-seeded Michael Youzhny defeated Bjorn Phau 7-6 (2), 6-4, and Marcos Baghdatis defeated Indian qualifier Somndev Devvarman 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.