Doha, 15 Feb. 2022 (ATP-QTF)

On the 2nd day of Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2022, Two-time champion, 34 year old  Andy Murray produced a strong first-round performance to brush past Daniel 6-2, 6-2 on Tuesday.

The Scot was pleased with how he dealt with the threat of Daniel this time around. “He played very well in Australia, he had a very good run there and was too good for me there. 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 is a two-time champion and four-time finalist in Doha, and he looked happy to be back as he hit 11 winners and broke Daniel twice to ease to the first set.

World No. 110 Daniel broke in the first game of the second set to momentarily halt the Murray charge, but a trademark backhand winner that sealed an immediate break back was typical of how the Scot struck the ball throughout and he went on to seal victory in one hour, 20 minutes.

On Monday, first day of Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2022, Karen Khachanov  overpowered World No. 51 Mackenzie McDonald in a tight encounter in the first round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Monday.

Both men made few errors in a high-quality match, but the Russian was able to find something extra at key moments to run out a 7-6(3), 6-3 winner in one hour, 25 minutes.

Khachanov has enjoyed a strong start to 2022, reaching the final at the Adelaide International (l. to Monfils) and pushing eventual champion Rafael Nadal to four sets in the third round of the Australian Open in January, and he had to bring his best to his opening-round match.

“Overall I feel it was a great match,” said the Russian in his post-match interview. “A great performance, I think, from both sides.

World No. 28 Daniel Evans showed good form during his first-round match in Doha, where he eased past Edgar Gerasimov 6-4, 6-4 in one hour, 31 minutes.

Evans hit the ball cleanly throughout in his first ATP Tour meeting with Gerasimov. He broke to love in the fifth game of the match and stayed solid to give his Belarusian opponent little say in the first set.

The Qatar ExxonMobil Open, one of two ATP Tour events held in the Middle East, has been selected by players as the ATP 250 Tournament of the Year on four occasions (2015, ’17, ’19, ’21). Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won multiple titles at this event, with Nadal’s haul including the 2014 singles title and four doubles crowns (2005, ’09, ’11 and ’15). Djokovic won back-to-back titles in 2016 and ’17.

Round of 32 Results
Today’s Order of Play
Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstan x7) bt Jozef Kovalik (Slovakia) 6-2, 6-4; Elias Ymer (Sweden) bt Joao Sousa (Portugal) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5;
Arthur Rinderknech (France) bt Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4;  Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Spain) bt Malek Jaziri (Tunisia) 6-1, 6-3;               Marton Fucsovics (Hungary) bt Lloyd Harris (South Africa x8) 6-4, 7-6 (4); Andy Murray (Britain) bt Taro Daniel (Japan) 6-2, 6-2;                                               Emil Ruusuvuori (Finland) bt David Goff in (Belgium) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 Doubles Round of 16:                                                                                                                          Mackenzie McDonald (United States) and Botic Van de Zandschulp (Netherlands) bt Illya Marchenko (Ukraine) and Issa Alharrasi (Qatar) 6-3, 6-2;
Wesley Koolhof (Netherlands) and Neal Skupski (Britain x3) bt Arthur Rinderknech and Manuel Guinard (France) 2-6, 6-3, 10-6.

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 6:00pm;

(WC) Andy Murray (GBR) vs (2) Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) Followed By: (6) Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs David Goff in (BEL)

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) or Malek Jaziri (TUN)/Mubarak Zaid (QAT) vs Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Denis Shapovalov (CAN)

Followed by – After suitable rest:
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO)/Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) vs Manuel Guinard/Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) or 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:

Daniel Evans/Ken Skupski (GBR) or 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) or Jonathan Erlich (ISR)/Lloyd Harris (RSA) vs Mackenzie McDonald (USA)