The Dubai Championships are underway despite the absence of several top players though injury and illness.

It all came as a huge disappointment when Dubai organisers disclosed most of the stars billed won't be coming. Some of the sport's biggest names withdrew, mostly through injuries. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco all called in sick.

Organisers reshuffled the depleted draw and handed out wild cards, one of them going to Russia's Marat Safin. With the top dogs badly missed Croatia's Marin Čilić was given the fifth seeding. He took on unseeded Janko Tipsarević of Serbia in the first round.

Čilić got off to the worst of starts, losing the first set 6-2.

With Tipsarević giving his all, Čilić was made to wait for the turn of tides until the second-set tiebreak. The Croat maintained the momentum breaking Tipsarević early in the decider. The Serb turned out a tough nut to crack, as he saved four match points.

Čilić turned it on to seal a 2-6 7-6 6-4 win and stay on course for his third title of the year.

Fellow Croat Ivan Ljubičić was up against fourth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer. He gained the upper hand in the closely-fought opening set, but could not stand the pace Ferrer offered afterwards.

Ferrer conceded only three more games to wrap up a formidable come-from-behind victory.

Second-seed Andy Murray looked relaxed ahead of the tournament and went through to the second round when Ukraine's Sergey Stakhovsky retired in the third set.

Yet another Croat Ivo Karlović became the biggest name to fall on the opening day. The seventh seed lost to someone more than 400 places below him in the world rankings.

Russia's Teimuraz Gabashvili progresses in the championship.