Damir Dzumhur defeated Teymuraz Gabashvili 6–4, 6–2 in the first round of the ATP 250 Istanbul tournament on clay on 27 April 2016, confirming his status as pre-match favourite with odds of 1.69 to Gabashvili's 2.29. Dzumhur's commanding performance saw him break serve consistently in both sets, establishing control early and maintaining his advantage throughout. The Bosnian's clay-court credentials were evident in his composed execution, particularly in the second set where he accelerated to a decisive 6–2 scoreline. Gabashvili, despite his experience, could not generate sufficient pressure to trouble the favourite and struggled to find rhythm against Dzumhur's solid baseline game. The victory represented a solid opening for Dzumhur in Istanbul and maintained his momentum on the European clay-court circuit.