The first round is often the last stop for Karen Khachanov this season.
The Paris Masters champion has suffered opening-round exits in four of five tournaments in 2019, including absorbing a 6-4, 6-1, beatdown from Nikoloz Basilashvili in Dubai on Monday.
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The 12th-ranked Russian cites one key quality in combating his slump: Don't stop believing.
"I think nobody likes to lose. Maybe the results are not as I was expecting," Khachanov told the media in Dubai. "At the end of the day nothing change and nothing stops. Here, beginning of the season, I have to really believe that I need to get to the level what I was playing basically, not like something that I am dreaming about, but where I was playing, winning.
"It's true, I can be self-confident and saying that I'm feeling well. Still, matches, they give you extra confidence that maybe you are looking for after certain loses that I really want to feel well. Yeah, like I said, I need to really keep believing. Nothing change. Keep believing in myself."
Khachanov partnered compatriot and fellow first-round singles casualty Daniil Medvedev in a 6-2, 6-1 doubles defeat to fourth seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. The 22-year-old Russian, who trains in Dubai, may stay on and practice before trying to solidify self-belief with positive results during upcoming Masters evens in Indian Wells and Miami.
"I believe I can be where I want to be," Khachanov said. "This doesn't have to stop me. Loses unfortunately always will be. Not as I wanted these three tournaments. Again, now there are two Masters Series that I really hope that I will be better."
Khachanov is defending just 55 ranking points combined at the two American spring Masters events after an opening-round exit in Indian Wells and a second-round loss to Kevin Anderson in Miami last spring.
Photo credit: Head