Doha R1 previews and predictions: Murray vs. Daniel, Goffin vs. Ruusuvuori

Veterans Andy Murray and David Goffin will begin their 2022 Doha campaigns during first-round action on Tuesday evening. Murray is seeking revenge against Taro Daniel, while Goffin faces Emil Ruusuvuori.

Taro Daniel vs. (WC) Andy Murray

Murray and Daniel will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers and for the second time this season then they clash in round one of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Tuesday. Daniel rolled to a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 upset at the recent Australian Open, while Murray dominated their first encounter 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 during 2016 Davis Cup round-robin competition.

After finishing runner-up in Sydney and needing five sets to beat Nikoloz Basilashvili in the Aussie Open first round, Murray did not have enough left in the tank to put up a good fight against Daniel. At this point in his career, the 34-year-old Scot will generally struggle in best-of-five situations. Best-of-three matches, however, are much more manageable. This should be a prime revenge opportunity for Murray, who is 19-3 lifetime in Doha with two titles.

Pick: Murray in 2

David Goffin vs. Emil Ruusuvuori

Like Murray, Goffin has also fallen upon hard times. The 31-year-old Belgian’s injury issues have not been quite as bad as Murray’s, but they have been a real factor. Although Goffin appears to be healthy now, he can’t seem to get back on track. The world No. 48 compiled a losing record last season (14-15) and he is 3-5 so far in 2022. Goffin wasn’t even competitive in Rotterdam, where he got trounced 6-0, 6-3 by Alex de Minaur in the opening round.

Doha’s draw hasn’t done the former world No. 7 any favors, either. Up first for him on Tuesday is Ruusuvuori, who already has a semifinal showing in Melbourne and a runner-up performance in Pune to his credit this season. The 22-year-old Finn has climbed to 71st in the rankings and in all likelihood he will continue moving up fast. Based on respective current form, there is no reason to think Ruusuvuori will have any difficulty on Tuesday.

Pick: Ruusuvuori in 2