Dubai, Feb 25 (IANS): World No.1 Novak Djokovic defeated Canada's Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of this year's Dubai duty free tennis championships here.

The match duration Tuesday was an hour and 18 minutes as the sunny weather returned to Dubai after the emirate was hit by winds, clouds and some sandstorms in the last three days, reports Xinhua.

Trained since December 2013 by German tennis legend Boris Becker, Djokovic seeks in Dubai to become the 12th player in the Open Era to win 50 titles, a record which Becker holds.

The 27-year-old Serbian is playing for the ninth year in Dubai. If Djokovic wins the Dubai title, which his arch rival Roger Federer from Switzerland won last year, it would mark his fifth title in the Gulf Arab sheikhdom's annual tournament.

Federer, currently the world's number two, won his first round match against Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-1 Monday. The Swiss is seeking to win his seventh title in Dubai.