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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Novak Djokovic opened the defence of his Dubai Championships title with a straight sets victory over Denis Istomin, while second-seeded Juan Martin del Potro had to retire from his first-round match on Tuesday. Top-seeded Djokovic, who is making only his second appearance this year after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 54th-ranked Istomin of Uzbekistan. "It wasnt as easy as the scoreline indicates," said Djokovic, who has won in Dubai on four occasions. "I needed to work for my games. "Having not played for more than four, five weeks, an official match, obviously it takes its toll on the court." Djokovic saved all four break points he faced on serve and broke Istomin three times -- in the third and ninth games of the first set and in the second game of the second set. Del Potro was not so fortunate, being forced to retire against Somdev Devvarman of India after losing the first-set tiebreaker 7-6 (3). Since winning the Sydney title last month, Del Potro has been struggling with a left wrist injury that has conjured up memories of similar pain he experienced in his right wrist four years ago. In 2010, the year after he won the U.S. Open, he played only three tournaments before and after surgery on his right wrist. Del Potro was fighting back tears in Dubai when he came to talk to the media after his retirement. "I dont feel really well," he said. "My wrist is hurting a lot and everybody knows what happened to me four years ago with my other wrist. "It was really tough to play today. I tried everything. I cannot be the player I would like to be." Having felt the pain in his left wrist during the Australian Open, Del Potro went at the end of January to consult with Dr. Richard Berger, who performed his right wrist surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The doctor recommended a course of physical therapy. Asked if he would have kept playing if he won the first set, Del Potro said: "I dont think so, no. It was hurting too much." Devvarman, a wild card who won a challenger in New Delhi last week, hit a service winner on his third set point in the tiebreaker. That proved to be the final point of the match. "Its unfortunate, especially for a guy like him," Devvarman said. "I realized he wasnt comfortable hitting backhands and I tried to make him hit as many as I could, and he wasnt really hitting over it so I knew he wasnt happy." Third-seeded Tomas Berdych extended his winning streak to eight matches with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Romanian qualifier Marius Copil. Berdych, who reached the final in Dubai last year, won the Rotterdam title two weeks ago. Fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France secured a 6-2, 6-4 win over Victor Hanescu of Romania. Kris Draper Jersey . The striker headed Spurs into a 35th-minute lead and tapped in their third in the 71st after Chico Flores own goal. Wilfried Bony hit the bar and had a good penalty appeal for a push by Tottenham captain Michael Dawson turned down in the first half, before getting Swanseas consolation late on. Steve Yzerman Jersey . And once again, Team Homan emerged as the victor with the reigning national champions defeating Team Sweeting at the Pintys All-Star Curling Skins Game Friday night in the tournaments opening draw at The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in beautiful Banff National Park. http://www.hockeyredwings.info/authentic...d-wings-jersey/. Speaking on Leafs Lunch with Bryan Hayes and Jamie McLennan on Thursday, Bernier said it was "very hard" at times being entrenched behind Jonathan Quick and is now excited at the prospect of getting an opportunity to compete with Reimer for the top spot with the Leafs. Frans Nielsen Jersey . The Blue Jackets got goals from Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Boone Jenner and R.J. Umberger and Curtis McElhinney posted his first shutout since 2011 in a 4-0 victory on Friday night. Alex Delvecchio Jersey . Coverage on TSN is underway now while action resumes on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. TSN GO also offers TSN subscribers bonus online coverage, with live streams of all four venues.ST. PAUL, Minn. - Thomas Vanek was bound to get a goal for Minnesota soon. The Wilds power play was well overdue, too.Scoring with a snap shot off a textbook behind-the-goal-line pass by Zach Parise, Vanek crossed both items off the to-do list on Saturday night.Vanek capped a three-goal second period with his first score for his new team, and the Wild stayed unbeaten at home with a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars.Mikael Granlund and Matt Dumba struck first for the Wild, the first goal for each this season, but the loudest roar from the crowd came when Vanek scored 57 seconds before the intermission. Vanek skated emotionless off the ice, only slightly shaking his head. He said hes not much of a celebrator.It was more a relief more than anything, said Vanek, who signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Wild. Even though it didnt look like much, it felt great.Not only did the puck that whizzed past goalie Kari Lehtonens glove give Minnesota a 3-1 lead, it gave Vanek his first goal in 10 games with the Wild and gave them their first goal in 29 extra-skater opportunities. They were the last NHL team to get one.It was way past the joking point. It was more just relief, said Parise, who had two assists and has a team-high 10 points in 10 games.Thats about the only part of Minnesotas game that wasnt working well. Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves to improve to 6-2 as the Wild raised their home record to 5-0, including four wins in regulation, with a 22-6 goal differential in those games. The Wild have scored first in eight of their 10 games, going 6-2 when doing so.Nino Niederreiter added another power-play goal for good measure in the third period, a slick between-the-skates tip-in of Ryan Suters feed in the third period.We were just sticking with our game. We knew it was going to come eventually, Dumba said of the power play. Its just one of those things that we werent getting the bounces, but hopefully now we can get it rolling.Wild coach Mike Yeo said he wasnt worried about Vanek. Stars coach Lindy Ruff, his longtimee coach with the Buffalo Sabres, wasnt buying the slump, either.ddddddddddddThomas is going to score 25 to 30 goals. Hes that good a goal scorer, as good as any guy around the front of the net that Ive ever coached, Ruff said.Vernon Fiddler scored for the Stars, just 8 seconds after Dumbas goal, but they were outshot 30-20. The Wild have outshot every opponent this season, by a whopping total of 350 to 229.Theres energy missing in our game. Its as simple as that, Ruff said.Lehtonen was in the Dallas net for the second straight night, having lost in overtime at home Friday to Anaheim 2-1. He made several difficult saves, but his effort was hardly enough. Backup Anders Lindback has given up nine goals in two games this season, and Ruff wasnt ready to give him another start.The Stars fell to 0-2-2 in their last four games after going 0 for 4 on the power play. They had 78 seconds of a 5-on-3 advantage in the first period that was frittered away without a threat.Jordie Benns failed clearing attempt was snagged by Granlund, who pivoted and zipped a slap shot from the slot into the net with Parise screening Lehtonen. Jamie Benn took the slashing penalty that set up Niederreiters power-play goal.Things were coming easy for us at the beginning of the year, and now were starting to find a bit of an uphill stretch here, Fiddler said. Good teams find a way to work through it, and thats what were going to have to do.NOTES: Stars RW Ales Hemsky sustained an upper-body injury in the second period and didnt return. ... The Wild got defenceman Jonas Brodin and centre Erik Haula back from two-game absences, both due to upper-body injuries. ... The Wild placed D Jared Spurgeon (shoulder) on the injured list, expecting him to miss several games. Christian Folin (illness) returned from a five-game absence to take his place in the lineup. Spurgeon has a team-high 25 blocked shots and six points in nine games. ... The Wild improved to 19-25-8 (including 15-9-2 at home) against the Stars, who played in Minnesota from 1967-93. ' ' '