Bautista Agut Wins In Title Defense Opener In Doha; Murray To Meet Zverev

by Staff | February 21st, 2023, 6:59 pm
  • 3 Comments

In Doha, Qatar, at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in first round action the 5th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut got through Marton Fucsovics of Hungary in a match that went the distance 7-6(9-7), 5-7, 6-4. Bautista Agut won the title last year and has now won three of four meetings with Fucsovics.

Rising 21-year-old Emil Ruusuvuori upset 6th-seeded Daniel Evans 7-5, 6-4.

No. 8 seed Botic Van De Zandschulp eliminated Ilya Ivashka 6-2, 7-5.


Tomorrow’s slate includes former champions Andrey Rublev and Andy Murray plus Daniil Medvedev. Murray will take on Alexander Zverev in the match of the day. Murray has won two of three but the two haven’t met in almost two years since Zverev’s Indian Wells win in 2021.

“I don’t believe I’m in the best shape of my career,” the two-time champ Murray said after saving three match points in a win over Lorenzo Sonego in the first round. “I just gained a lot of confidence from what happened in Australia, more than at any other moment in my career, like just from a physical perspective because of what I was able to do there.

“I’m sure when I was 25, 26 that physically I would have been better than I am now and, you know, faster and moving better on the court. But what I did in Australia, like I said, it gave me lots of belief in the physical side, which the last four or five years I didn’t have that.”

Said Zverev, “I take it as a very tough match. He’s won this tournament before. He’s a Grand Slam champion, so he knows how to play tennis. I’ve got to focus on myself and try to be prepared the best way possible.”


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3 Comments for Bautista Agut Wins In Title Defense Opener In Doha; Murray To Meet Zverev

skeezer Says:

Kudos to Murray for still playing and giving it a go. Great win today against Z.


chrisford1 Says:

Even in his final times in pro tennis – Andy Murray is instant Hall of Fame material and a reminder to all that at one time. with Federer and Novak and Rafa at their peaks, there wasn’t a Big 3. There was a short time a big 4 as Andy fixed some negatives an was an equal or nearly an equal to his rivals.

On the doorstep to a 2nd forced retiring, Andy shows he is a bigger talent and still a bigger warrior than Sasha.


zed Says:

Chrisford1, I agree that Sir Andy is a Hall of Famer. Great player and one of the really nice guys of tennis as far as I have seen.

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