DUBAI,  (Reuters) – Russian fourth seed Nikolay  Davydenko overcame a surprise first-set loss to beat France’s  Florent Serra 6-7 6-4 6-1 yesterday in an error-strewn  first-round battle at the Dubai tennis championships.

Sixth seed Marin Cilic had an easier time, thriving in the  sweltering conditions to power past Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-2  6-4.

Fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had just won the first set 7-6  when his opponent, fellow Frenchman and last week’s Marseille  Open winner Michael Llodra, pulled out with a hamstring injury.

Tsonga next meets big-serving Ivan Ljubicic.

Davydenko, still struggling with a wrist injury suffered in  Rotterdam this month, admitted he had been below par.

“Too many mistakes from me,” Davydenko, 28, told reporters.  “I had so many chances (to) make a break in the second set and  win maybe more easily.”

Davydenko saved two set points to force a first-set tiebreak  as both players made a succession of unforced errors.

Serra, 28, raced into a 6-2 tiebreak lead, hitting a  brilliant forehand winner past Davydenko as the world number six  approached the net. After saving another three set points,  Davydenko finally succumbed, unable to return a blistering  serve.

At 4-4 in the second set, Davydenko saved two break points.  He made the first break of the match in the next game to clinch  the second set.

The Russian then powered through the deciding set, losing  only four points on his serve to set up a second-round clash  with Germany’s Michael Berrer, who defeated Ukrainian Sergiy  Stakhovsky 6-4 7-6.