Reigning champion and second seed Andrey Rublev of Russia overcame early jitters to beat Filip Krajinovic of Serbia 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the ATP Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship on Monday.

After the match, Rublev said being the defending champion puts too much pressure on him. “This is a new tournament for me. I have great memories, but that’s in the past. I am happy to be in the second round.