Britain's Jack Draper plays a return to Argentina’s Federico Agustin Gomez during their men's singles first round tennis match on day two of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on August 25, 2025. (Photo: AFP)

Jack Draper returned to ATP Tour after almost six months away with a 7-6 (10-8), 6-3 win over Quentin Halys in the first round of the 500 event in Dubai on Monday.

Last August, the Briton withdrew ahead of the second round of the U.S. Open. His only match since then was a straight-sets victory over Norwegian Viktor Durasovic in the Davis Cup on February 2.

"It feels so good to be out here competing in front of people," said Draper, who had climbed to No. 4 in the world rankings last June and is now at No. 12.

"It could have been a little cleaner from my side, but I hadn't played on the Tour for a long time," he said.

"I've been craving the feeling of competing for a very long time. It just felt normal. It felt like I was coming back to doing what I love."

Earlier, top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime needed six match points before despatching Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).

"I stopped counting at some point, it was getting too frustrating," said the Canadian.

"Having match points is the position you want to be in as a player, but it's weird how the mind plays a trick on you. How much further I am from losing than he is, he should be the one that's tight."

Auger-Aliassime, the losing finalist in Dubai last season, has reached the final of his last two tournaments this season -- winning in Montpellier before losing in Rotterdam.

He will next face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard whose big serve saved him in two tie-breaks as he beat Tunisian Moez Echargui 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4) for a first tour win since reaching the quarter-finals in Auckland in January.

The Frenchman hit 29 aces, including one on match point.

Stan Wawrinka continued his farewell tour by beating Benjamin Hassan 7-5, 6-3 with Swiss Davis Cup and Olympic team-mate Roger Federer, who won the Dubai event eight times, in the stands.

It was Wawrinka's 10th tour-level win since turning 40, a record in the Open Era.