“Very difficult for anyone to beat me here” Andy Murray has eyes set on ending his title drought at the Qatar Open
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Andy Murray
World No. 87 Andy Murray continues to rise in the ATP rankings having broken into the ATP Top-100 last week, entering into double-digit ranking for the first time in 45 months. Murray was ranked 95th in the world when he started at the 2022 Rotterdam Open. The journey however ended in the second round when the Brit was defeated by eventual champion Felix Auger-Aliassime.
But the one win in the tournament was enough to see Murray rise further in the rankings being placed 87th in the rankings when the rankings were updated in the week that began on 14th February. Murray is currently at the 2022 Qatar Open in Doha where he received a wildcard being a former champion having won the title in 2008 and then defending it in 2009.
Murray was up against Japan’s Taro Daniel in the first round which was a repeat of the clash between the two players in the second round of the 2022 Australian Open where Daniel won in straight-sets. Murray however was able to level the scores this time, winning the match 6-2, 6-2 to move ahead into the tournament.
“The conditions here are very good for me, the courts adapt to my game. I know that if I show a good level, it will be very difficult for anyone to beat me here,” said Murray during his post-match press conference after overcoming Daniel with rather ease as he now prepares for his second-round match.
Andy Murray to take on Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round
Murray will clash with fellow Tour veteran Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round. The Spaniard is the second seed at the tournament and hence received a bye in the first round, hence coming from a quarter-final defeat at the 2022 Montpellier Open. This will be the 5th meeting between the two players.
They first met in the 3rd round of the 2014 Wimbledon with Murray winning in straight-sets. They next met in the semi-finals of the 2015 BMW Open in Munich with Murray going on to win the title later. The third meeting took place in the finals of the 2016 Shanghai Masters with Murray picking his 3rd consecutive straight-set win over Agut.
They last met in the 1st round of the 2019 Australian Open when the Spaniard edged out Murray in a first-round 5-set thriller and won sets against the Brit for the first time. Murray currently leads Agut 3-1 in the head-to-head currently.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)