Gulf Times
Top seed and former champion Andrey Rublev of Russia yesterday found himself in the ‘tough’ part of the draw for this week’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open.
Rublev, the 2020 champion in Qatar, has fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, sixth seed Daniel Evans of Great Britain and former champion and compatriot Andy Murray in his half of the 32-player field.
Canadian second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Grand Slam winner Daniil Medvedev of Russia, the third seed, are in the bottom half of the draw.
“Yes, it is a tough draw. We have good players in Doha. I am ready. I am looking forward to playing in Doha this week,” Rublev, who also played the 2018 final in Doha, said yesterday.
Zverev, who has a bye in the first round, will play the winner from the clash involving Murray and Lorenzo Sonego of Italy. Evans, who famously wastedmatch points against Roger Federer here in 2021, will take on Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori.
Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, is expected to meet two-time champion Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in the quarter-finals. Bautista Agut, the 2019 and 2022 winner, will open his Doha campaign against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.
Medvedev yesterday beat Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets to reach the Rotterdam ATP final and ensure a return to the world’s top 10. Medvedev, seeded sixth, won 6-1, 6-2 in just 82 minutes, converting six of 13 break points to reach his first final since claiming the title in Vienna last October. In his 28th career final today, he will face either Italy’s 14th-ranked Jannik Sinner or Dutch wild card Tallon Griekspoor.
Canada’s rising star Auger-Aliassime is expected to meet seventh seed Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the quarter-finals if both win their opening round clashes. Fokina takes on France’s Constant Lestienne in the first round.
The draw ceremony yesterday was attended by Tariq Zainal, Secretary-General of the QTF, Saad al-Mohannadi, Executive Director of QTF, Karim al-Alami, Tournament Director of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, and Saleh Al Mana, Vice President and Government Affairs Director for ExxonMobil Qatar.
Four players also attended the draw – Rublev, Sonego, France’s Quentin Halys and Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.
The tournament starts tomorrow with the final scheduled for Feb 25. The champion in Doha will get $209,445 while the losing finalist will take home $122,175.