Marcos earned another victory over World No. 20 and rising Belgian star David Goffin to open his Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign.
A month removed from upsetting Goffin in the Australian Open second round, Marcos needed 71 minutes to secure a 6-2, 7-5 victory on Tuesday in Dubai. He won 79 per cent of first serve points and converted on six of seven break opportunities.
Marcos claimed his first match win in the Arabian desert since 2010, when he registered his best result in reaching the semi-finals. He is making his sixth appearance overall at the ATP World Tour 500 series event.
Marcos will face another young gun, 17-year-old Borna Coric, in the second round. It will be their first meeting.
