Andy Murray celebrates after his victory against Taro Daniel. Pictures: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
Doha: Former champion Andy Murray yesterday made a winning start at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open when he breezed past Taro Daniel to take a sweet revenge of his last month’s defeat in Melbourne.
Daniel eliminated Murray at the Australian Open 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, but the two-time Qatar Open champion was too good for the Japanese World No. 110 in their ‘rematch’ as he made a winning return at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex.
A wild card entrant, Murray, 34, produced a commanding performance to oust Daniel with a 6-2, 6-2 win to set up a blockbuster second round clash against former champion Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain.
Murray, a four-time finalist at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, hit 11 winners and broke Daniel twice to ease to the first set.
Daniel broke in the first game of the second set to slow down Murray’s charge, but the former “Big Four” member secured an immediate break with his trademark backhand shot on his way to seal victory in one hour and 20 minutes.
Murray was happy to make a successful return to Doha.
“It’s obviously great to be back and nice to start with a win. I’ve not played here for a few years. It’s changed a lot since I was last here, but I’ve always played well here. I love the conditions. It’s a place to come, everyone involved in the tour. They make it so easy for all the players, we get looked after really well. I am delighted to be back,” the three-time Grand Slam champion said after his win.
Murray’s last title win in Doha came in 2009 when he successfully defended his title against Andy Roddick.
Missing in action on and off on several occasions from 2017-2020 due to injuries, the 6’ 3” former World No.1 is here to make things difficult for his opponents this time.
“The conditions here are good for my game. So, you know, if I can play to a good level, the courts are going to suit me here and I’ll make it difficult for everyone I’m playing against,” he said.
“He (Daniel) played very well in Australia. He had a very good run there. So, I tried to be the one dictating from the first point, and I thought I did that well. It was one of the better matches I’ve played in recent months,” Murray said during the courtside interview last night.
His next opponent, Bautista-Agut lifted the Qatar title in 2019 and reached the final in last year’s event in which he was beaten by Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.
“He [Bautista-Agut] has also played well here in the past. He’s had some big wins. I think he beat (Novak) Djokovic year one year, and lost to Basilashvili. He obviously also like the conditions here. He’s one of the best competitors on the tour and been around the top of the game for a really long time. We have played a few times in the past, usually pretty long, long matches, long rallies. So it will be a physical one for me,” he said.
Earlier, Montepellier champion and seventh seed Alexander Bublik beat Slovakian qualifier Jozef Kovalik 6-2, 6-4 with a powerful performance.
The World No. 31 Kazakh hit 25 winners including seven aces, breaking his opponent four times to reach the second round in Doha for a third consecutive year. He now faces Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who defeated Jiri Vesely 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4.
Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also made a strong start with an easy 6-1, 6-3 win over Tunisian Malek Jaziri.
Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti was forced to withdraw from his Round of 32 clash due to sickness and he was replaced by Portugal’s Joao Sousa for the meeting against Elias Ymer.
Sousa had lost to Italian Thomas Fabiano in the Doha qualifiers. However, Sousa failed to make use of the lifeline despite a resilient attack against the young Swede as the 25-year-old advanced after a comeback 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 win to book a meeting against the title-holder Basilashvili.
ATP World Tour Qatar ExxonMobil Open Results
Men’s Singles: Round of 32
Alexander Bublik (7), Kazakhstan, def. Jozef Kovalik, Slovakia, 6-2, 6-4.
Elias Ymer, Sweden, def. Joao Sousa, Portugal, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Arthur Rinderknech, France, def. Jiri Vesely, Czech Republic, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Spain, def. Malek Jaziri, Tunisia, 6-1, 6-3.
Marton Fucsovics, Hungary, def. Lloyd Harris (8), South Africa, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Andy Murray, Britain, def. Taro Daniel, Japan, 6-2, 6-2.
Order of Play - Day 5
Singles Round of 16
Centre Court
Starts at 2:30pm
(1) Denis Shapovalov (CAN) vs Alex Molcan (CRO)
Followed By
Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) vs (4) WC Marin Cilic (CRO)
Not Before 6:00 Pm
(WC) Andy Murray (GBR) vs (2) Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
Followed By
(6) Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs David Goffin (BEL) or Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN)
Grandstand 1
Starts at 2:30pm
Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) vs (7) Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
(3) Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) vs (LL) Elias Ymer (SWE)
Followed by - After suitable rest
Doubles - Quarter-finals
Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen (BEL) vs Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Denis Shapovalov (CAN)
Followed by - After suitable rest
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO)/Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) vs Wesley Koolhof (NED)/Neal Skupski (GBR)
Grandstand 2
Starts At 2:30pm
Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) vs Marton Fucsovics (HUN)
Followed by
(5) Daniel Evans (GBR) vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
Followed by - Time and court TBA
Doubles - Quarter-finals
Andrey Golubev (KAZ)/Fabrice Martin (FRA) vs Alexander Bublik (KAZ)/Marton Fucsovics (HUN)
Not before 6:00pm - After suitable rest
Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic (CRO) vs Mackenzie McDonald (USA)/Botic van de Zandschulp (NED)
