Novak Djokovic opened his Athens campaign with a straight-sets victory over Alejandro Tabilo, prevailing 7-6 (3), 6-1 at the ATP 250 indoor hard-court event. The result carried extra weight: it was Djokovic’s first career win against the Chilean and moved him into the 225th quarterfinal of his career.

Djokovic had lost the pair’s first two meetings in straight sets, falling to Tabilo in Rome last year and again in Monte Carlo earlier this year. In Athens he reversed those outcomes, taking a close first set in the tiebreak and then closing the match decisively in the second set.

The win halted a short head-to-head advantage for Tabilo and illustrated Djokovic’s capacity to adjust after previous defeats. It also created a statistical footnote: “But only one player—Roger Federer—has ever won their first three career meetings against Djokovic, and he’ll now remain alone in that stat.” Djokovic avoided giving Tabilo a third consecutive opening win and instead progressed through to the quarterfinal stage in Athens.

The match was played on the indoor hard courts that characterize this ATP 250 stop, and Djokovic’s straight-sets scoreline reflected a steadying of his game after the earlier tight opening set. By advancing, Djokovic not only secured passage to the last eight at the tournament but also added another milestone to an already extensive list of career quarterfinal appearances.

This victory in Athens represents a clear turnaround in the short rivalry between Djokovic and Tabilo, reversing two earlier straight-sets losses and reaffirming Djokovic’s ability to convert close matches into wins at tour-level events.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios are scheduled to face each other in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition set for Dec. 28 in Dubai. The match will be played indoors at the 17,000-seat Coca-Cola Arena, and both players posted logistical details on their social media channels after Sabalenka confirmed during the U.S. Open that discussions for the match were underway.

Before their head-to-head meeting in Dubai, both players will take part in an exhibition in New York on Dec. 8, though they will not play one another there. Sabalenka will face Naomi Osaka and Kyrgios will play Tommy Paul in that event.

Kyrgios has outlined specific conditions for the Dubai match, saying he would get only one serve and would be hitting toward a smaller side of the court. The Australian, who has barely played in recent years because of injuries, has predicted he will win easily.

“I cannot wait to get back out on court,” Kyrgios said in an Instagram story. “Honestly I’m feeling amazing. I never thought I would be back into this position, being able to travel the world, see my fans and play some amazing tennis.”

The exhibition borrows its name from the famous 1973 meeting between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, a match King won in straight sets in the Houston Astrodome. Sabalenka enters the off-season as a four-time Grand Slam champion and one of the top attractions on the women’s tour, while Kyrgios returns to a spotlighted appearance after a period of limited competitive play.

Belgian Alexander Blockx won the Slovak Open Challenger, defeating France’s Titouan Droguet 6-4, 6-3 in the final. The 20-year-old from Antwerp sealed victory in 69 minutes to claim his second Challenger title of the season after Oeiras and the third of his career. The former junior world No. 1 collected 125 ATP ranking points, pushing him to a new career-high just outside the Top 100 and surpassing his previous best of No. 116. Blockx is the first Belgian to lift the Slovak Open trophy in the tournament’s 26-year history.

The opening set saw both players hold serve until the eighth game before Blockx broke in the ninth to take it 6-4. He broke early in the second set and closed out the match by converting his second match point in the ninth game. “I think I played a good match,” Blockx said after the win. “It wasn’t my best tennis, but I was efficient. I served well, and with just two breaks in the match, it was pretty tight. I managed to take advantage of a few of his errors. Physically, I didn’t have as much energy as in the previous days, which is normal after four tough matches. My semifinal [against top seed Raphael Collignon] was one of the best matches I’ve ever played, so it’s not easy to keep that level. I’m happy I managed to finish strong.” He also recalled a narrow escape in round one. “Honestly, I was just happy to get through that first round,” Blockx admitted. “That gave me confidence, and I played better with every match. The field was very strong. This was one of the toughest and best Challengers I’ve played. Everything here in Bratislava was great—from the organization to the ball kids. I play my best tennis where I feel good, and here in Bratislava, it felt like home.”

Italian Lorenzo Giustino won the inaugural Monastir Open in Tunisia, beating Petr Brunclik 7-5, 6-0 in one hour and 52 minutes under clear skies at the Skanes Family Resort. Giustino converted five of 14 break points and won 58 percent of points. “I played very well. I was very nervous at the beginning, as I was also playing for a ticket to the Australian Open. I was good at the important points and improved throughout the match,” he said. Giustino earned $8,350 and 50 ATP points.

On hard courts, Sho Shimabukuro beat No. 5 seed Coleman Wong 6-4, 6-3 to win the EUGENE Seoul Open in 71 minutes, his fifth Challenger title and his second of the season. Rafael Jódar captured the Charlottesville title with a 6-3, 7-6(2) win over Martin Damm. In Lima, top seed Mariano Navone overcame Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to claim the Los Inkas Open after more than two hours and forty minutes; it was Navone’s eighth Challenger trophy and his second of the season.