TENNIS in DEPTH.

Novak Djokovic won his first title of the season Saturday, beating David Ferrer of Spain 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The third-ranked Djokovic finished off Ferrer with an ace that was originally called out but was challenged by the Serb.

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A virus has forced Andy Murray to withdraw from the Dubai Tennis Championships prior to his quarterfinal match against Richard Gasquet.

Murray’s first two matches in Dubai had seen him battling an ankle injury, apparently sustained in Rotterdam two weeks ago, but his withdrawal has ultimately been put down to a viral infection. He has already suffered illness this season, with his surprise loss to Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open widely thought to be due to an infection picked up a few days earlier.

Murray is due to play against Ukraine in the Davis Cup on 6th-8th March, followed by back-to-back campaigns at the two biggest Masters 1000 events, in Indian Wells and Miami.

Murray has today discussed the illness and the immediate future:

I will have to rest and see. If I feel bad I won’t play, and if I feel fine I will play.

Doctor says I need a week, 10 days, to start feeling better again and I’ll just see. You never know with these things. Sometimes you can recover more quickly than other times.

I woke up in the middle of the night sweating. I went to the doctor and started taking anti-biotics yesterday, but I have felt very tired all week. I have felt cold and shivery and had a sore throat, I feel that my temperature is up, and my body feels bad.

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Andy Ram, the Israeli doubles player who was given a visa to play in the championships after one had been denied to compatriot Shahar Peer for the women’s singles, played without any problems in Dubai..

Ram and Zimbabwean team-mate Kevin Ullyett lost 3-6 6-3 8-10 to Marat Safin and David Ferrer in their first-round match amid tight security.

“Coming here was something big, because it showed that we should not involve sports with politics,” said Ram.

“It’s a bridge that connects people, countries, culture, everything, religions, and that’s the beauty of it. That’s why I decided to go into sports and not politics.”

The match took place on an outside court with spectator seats only at one end and fans had to enter through airport-style security barriers.

Mobile phones and bottles of water were not allowed on the court but water was eventually given out to spectators in plastic cups.

Ram, who was protected by two bodyguards when he entered the court, added that he encountered no problems and would be happy to return next year.

“Definitely. Everything was just good and the people I was in touch with here were so nice to me,” he said.

“From the first moment I arrived at the airport, they took me to the hotel and treated me very well.

“I think it’s something good for the future in 30, 40 years, that something like this wouldn’t happen again.

“I decided it was the right decision to play here and I will come and try to do it again.”

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Britain’s Andy Murray reached round two of the Dubai Championships with victory over Sergiy Stakhovsky, but struggled with an ankle injury.

Murray took control after an uneven start, recovering from a set and a break down to lead 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 5-3 when his opponent called it quits.

Both men had to deal with ankle injuries – Murray missed Marseille last week because of the problem.

The Scot will face Arnaud Clement or Rainer Schuettler in the second round.

“It was a bit strange with both of us struggling with our ankles toward the end of the match, but he was aggressive, fought very well and hit some unbelievable volleys,” said Murray.

“I played a couple of bad games in the first set and was disappointed with my serve, but I was always having chances on his serves so I wasn’t really worried.

“But I think I tweaked my ankle about an hour-and-a-half into the match. I have got to see the physio now.

“The ankle was feeling a lot better during practice, but I was wearing braces then.”

Murray is the second seed in Dubai behind Novak Djokovic, following the withdrawal through injuries of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

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They are staying in one of the best hotels in the world – and have Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to thank for it.

The top two seeds usually get invited to the city’s most exclusive pad – the Burj al Arab – for the duration of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

But, as aches and pains put paid to the world numbers one and two for this week, it was no sore point at all for the next best players in the world to be upgraded to ultra first-class.

Step forward Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Murray’s and Djokovic’s two-level suites in the famous landmark built in the shape of a sale are so big they could probably play a first round match in it, easily accommodating the umpire, line judges and ball kids.

The crowd and media could squeeze in at the back.

If Dunblane’s and Belgrade’s finest hadn’t quite realised that they’d’ hit the big time, they sure know it now.

How exclusive is it? It’s for rock stars and oil-rich Sheikhs, and now Andy and Novak!

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All eyes will be on Dubai this month as the latest saga in the exhilarating rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal plays out at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (15th

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