Roger Federer suffers early exit in Dubai

Eighteen-time grand slam champion Roger Federer is out of the Dubai Duty Free Championships after suffering a second-round loss to Russia's Evgeny Donskoy today.

Swiss ace Federer won January's Australian Open but was beaten 3-6 7-6 (9/7) 7-6 (7/5) by world number 116 Donskoy in two hours and two minutes.

The shock defeat came after world number one Andy Murray cruised through to the third round with a 6-2 6-0 win over Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Federer appeared to be cruising in winning the first set in 24 minutes but Donskoy overturned three match points in the second set.

And Federer relinquished a 5-1 lead in the third set tie-break to exit.

Scotland's Murray had no such trouble, despatching 97th-ranked Garcia-Lopez to advance to play Philipp Kohlschreiber in the quarter-finals. The German was a 6-4 6-4 winner over Dannil Medvedev of Russia.

Fourth seed Gael Monfils of France beat Britain's Dan Evans 6-4 3-6 6-1, but fifth seed Tomas Berdych is out.

Czech Berdych was beaten 3-6 6-3 6-4 by Robin Haase of Holland.

Fernando Verdasco of Spain beat compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4 3-6 7-5.

Seventh seed Lucas Pouille of France beat Romanian qualifier Marius Copil 6-1 6-4 and will next play Donskoy.

Verdasco faces Monfils, while Haase will play Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dzumhur beat Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-3 6-4 today.