An intriguing second-round lineup in Doha includes both Alexander Zverev and Andy Murray, who will be taking the court on Wednesday. Andrey Rublev and Tallon Griekspoor are also looking for a spot in the quarterfinals.
(4) Alexander Zverev vs. (WC) Andy Murray
Murray is in the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and he is already on his second life. The 35-year-old faced three match points in his opener on Monday, saving them all en route to a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) victory over Lorenzo Sonego. Murray is now 3-2 for the season following a pair of dramatic five-set wins at the Australian Open at the expense Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Up next for the three-time Grand Slam champion on Wednesday is Zverev, who trails the head-to-head series 2-1. Their two most recent meetings came at the Masters 1000 level, with Murray prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 three years ago in Cincinnati before Zverev got the job done 6-4, 7-6(4) at the 2021 Indian Wells event. If the Scot was already past his prime for those encounters, now it is Zverev who is struggling. The German’s comeback from a 2022 French Open ankle injury has been slow going, to say the least. He is 3-5 this season with four losses to opponents outside the top 60 and no trips past the second round of any tournament. Murray should win this with great returning and by getting a ton of balls back in play and exploiting his opponent’s inconsistency from the back of the court.
Pick: Murray in 2
(1) Andrey Rublev vs. Tallon Griekspoor
Rublev and Griekspoor will be going head-to-head for the first time in their careers on Wednesday. Griekspoor is coming off a semifinal showing at home in Rotterdam and he parlayed that momentum into a 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(5) defeat of Quentin Halys on Tuesday. The 40th-ranked Dutchman is now an amazing 11-2 for his 2023 campaign, also with a title in Pune and a third-round result at the Australian Open.
At the other end of the season spectrum is Rublev, who is just 4-4 after falling to Alex de Minaur in the Rotterdam first round. On the bright side for the No. 1 seed, he is 9-3 lifetime in Doha with two trips to the final (one title and one runner-up). Grekspoor is on a roll, but Rublev loves this tournament and is well rested so this could be a tough test for the underdog.
Pick: Rublev in 3
WWW?
My head says pick Griekspoor, but the heart is for Rublev in 3. Griekspoor was impressive last week.
Andy Murray in 2. I like that pick.
Zv in 3; Rublev in 2….and where did Nicolas Jarry come from????!
Here you go, Scoot.
Jarry is from Chile and has been around for a long time. He was gone from the tour serving a ban for an illegal substance but has been cleared to play again.
From Sky Sports, Tuesday 21 April 2020, 11:12, UK
“Top 100 tennis player Nicolas Jarry has been given an 11-month doping ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). His defense was weak (though it could have been true). After an investigation, the ITF said it accepted the 24-year-old’s explanation as to how SARM LGD-4033 and stanozolol entered his system – namely that he had taken ‘multi-vitamins’ made in Brazil that his doctor had recommended because they were supposedly free from banned substances.”
Good lordy, the Meddie v Broady first set was brutal!
Medvedev finally won 6-3 in the second set, but Liam Broady put Meddie through a meat grinder.
Huge Congrats to Andy Murray! And Stan, the man! 😀