Murray Buoyed By Dubai 2017 Form
Murray Buoyed By Dubai 2017 Form
Mar012017
Left-hander prevails in all-Spanish clash
Former World No. 7 Fernando Verdasco battled to a confidence-boosting win on Wednesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, edging fellow Spaniard and sixth seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals.
Since reaching the semi-finals in the first week of the season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (l. to Djokovic after holding five match points), the left-hander had won just one match in three tournaments. But he toughed out victory over Bautista Agut in two hours and 26 minutes, breaking in the final game to seal the win.
“With him, until the last point you have to have unbelievable focus and fight every point,” said Verdasco. “That’s what I did, and I’m very happy that I went through and I’m in the quarter-finals for the first time here.
“Always beating these kind of players gives me confidence. They give you unbelievable rhythm, and it’s always good for your game.”
The 33-year-old Verdasco goes on to face Gael Monfils or Daniel Evans.
Seventh seed Lucas Pouille kept up his good run of form, defeating qualifier Marius Copil 6-1, 6-4 in 59 minutes. The Frenchman is coming off a runner-up showing at the Open 13 Marseille (l. to Tsonga). He could next face seven-time Dubai champion Roger Federer, should the Swiss beat Evgeny Donskoy.
Philipp Kohlschreiber set a potential quarter-final clash with top seed Andy Murray as he defeated #NextGenATP Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-4. Murray faces Guillermo Garcia-Lopez this evening.
British number two Dan Evans bowed out in round two of the Dubai Championships with a 6-4 3-6 6-1 defeat against fourth seed Gael Monfils of France.
The 26-year-old, enjoying a career-high ranking of 43, lost the opening set but levelled as Monfils held serve only once in the second set.
But Monfils raced through the decider to complete victory in 95 minutes.
World number one Andy Murray plays Guillermo Garcia Lopez of Spain, ranked 97, later on Wednesday.
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Wildcards should not be given to players returning from doping bans, says world number one Andy Murray.
Russia’s Maria Sharapova has been given wildcards for tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome after her 15-month suspension ends next month.
“I think you should really have to work your way back,” Murray told the Times.
“But most tournaments will do what they think is best for their event. If they think big names will sell more seats, they’re going to do that.”
Five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova was banned for two years after testing positive for meldonium in January last year, but that suspension was reduced in October to 15 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Wimbledon organisers face the potential dilemma of whether to hand the 2004 champion, who no longer has a world ranking, a place in this year’s tournament in July.
“She has an opportunity to try to improve her ranking up until that point and potentially not need a wildcard,” Murray said of Sharapova, who he played alongside at the International Premier Tennis League.
“But then if she doesn’t, that becomes Wimbledon’s decision and how they want to play that. I’m sure they’ll think long and hard about it and how they feel people will view it and then make the right decision for them.”
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British number three Kyle Edmund was beaten 6-2 4-6 6-3 by American world number 40 Sam Querrey in the Mexican Open first round.
Edmund, 22, ranked five places lower then Querrey, lost his only other top-level meeting with the 29-year-old at Eastbourne in 2014.
Novak Djokovic will play Juan Martin del Potro in round two after beating Slovakia’s Martin Klizan 6-3 7-6 (7-4)
Second seed Rafael Nadal had a 6-4 6-3 win over Germany’s Mischa Zverev.
Marin Cilic earned his first win at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco on Tuesday. The third seed knocked out Buenos Aires titlist Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 4-6, 6-0. Cilic hit 14 aces and won more than 70 per cent of his service points during the 90-minute win.
The 28-year-old Croatian had lost his opener last year to American Ryan Harrison. Cilic will meet countryman and #NextGenATP player Borna Coric in the second round.
Cilic is one of four Top 10 players at the ATP World Tour 500 event, and two more will be in action tonight, including top seed Novak Djokovic and second seed Rafael Nadal.