Davidovich crashes out in Dubai after capitulation

Alejandro Davidovich was eliminated in disappointing fashion from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship on Wednesday.

The Fuengirola-based tennis star showed visible frustration, smashing his racquet on the ground, after defending champion Andrey Rublev came back to win the last-16 tie.

The Russian showed great character to fight back after trailing 1-6 in a second-set tiebreaker, eventually winning 1-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3).

Now, with the only consolation of having played a great match, Davidovichwill join the North American tour. The Indian Wells Masters 1000 starts next Wednesday after which he will then head to Miami, where he will be seeded.

Davidovich will be among the leading Spanish hopes at those two tournaments after both Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz ruled themselves out through injury.

The former had been due to return in Dubai but he is still feeling the effects of his thigh injury picked up at the Australian Open. Nadal could return for the Monte-Carlo Masters at the start of April.

As for Alcaraz, the current world number two, he picked up yet another muscle injury in the Rio de Janeiro ATP 500 as he lost to Cameron Norrie on Sunday.