Veterans Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet are off to a good start in Doha and will back on the court for second-round action on Wednesday. Murray faces Jakub Mensik, while Gasquet goes up against top seed Andrey Rublev.
(1) Andrey Rublev vs. (WC) Richard Gasquet
Rublev and Gasquet will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they meet in round two of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Wednesday. Their only previous encounter also came during the February swing, when Rublev won a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) thriller on the indoor hard courts of Marseille in 2022.
Fast forward 24 months and Gasquet is 37 years old and struggling down at No. 126 in the world. The end may be near for the veteran Frenchman, but he at least took advantage of his Doha wild card by upsetting Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday. As for Rublev, he is the top seed and therefore had the benefit of a first-round bye. Overall fifth-ranked Russian is in pretty good form at the moment, and he will also be well rested for this week after losing to Alex de Minaur in the Rotterdam quarterfinals. It’s hard to see this being anywhere close to as competitive as the first matchup between Rublev and Gasquet.
Pick: Rublev in 2
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Andy Murray vs. Jakub Mensik
Murray finally found the win column for the first time in 2024. The 36-year-old Scot had been 0-4 and had lost nine of his last 10 sets heading into Tuesday’s opening-round match in Doha, but he raised his level to defeat Alexandre Muller 6-1, 7-6(5). A return to this tournament may be just what the doctor ordered for Murray, who won a quartet of three-setters last February (including over Muller in the quarterfinals) before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the title match.
That being said, despite his first-round victory Murray still finds himself at one of the lowest points of his career and his opponent on Wednesday cannot discounted even though he is not–at least not yet–a big name. Mensik figures to be one of the tour’s breakout stars in 2024, and the 18-year-old Czech is projected to climb into the top 100 if he wins this match. Mensik, who reached the Australian Open second round as a qualifier and pushed Hubert Hurkacz to five sets, is coming off an impressive 7-6(3), 6-4 upset of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. It should also be noted that Murray dealt with a minor knee issue on Tuesday, which is always a concern given his age an history. Regardless, this looks like a good opportunity for Mensik to advance and continue his rise.
Pick: Mensik in 3
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Rublev in 2
Murray in 3