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[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-microphone”] Match Recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Filip Krajinovic advances to the Round of 16
In Round-1’s best match, Filip Krajinovic earned his first win over Kyle Edmund. The victory also marks the World #40’s debut main-draw Singles triumph in Qatar. 7-years-ago, Filip made his Doha debut as a Qualifier ranked outside the top-225. Two years later, he teamed with Novak Djokovic to reach the Doubles Semifinals, where they fell to eventual champions Rafael Nadal and Juan Monaco.
The final match of Day-1, Krajinovic and Edmund didn’t take the court until 9:30, while most everyone else was at Marsa Malaz Kempinski for the annual Player Dinner Gala. That said, any day of the week, every player on tour would easily choose winning a season-opener over attending a player party. Especially a match like this one, requiring endurance and will – setting the tone for the tournament, and the season.
Filip Krajinovic earns his first win over Kyle Edmund
► 2020. Krajinovic – Score: 46 63 63 – Doha (R1) ► 2018. Edmund – Score: 75 63 – Shanghai Masters (R1) ► 2016. Edmund – Score: 76(2) 60 – Rome Challenger (F)
Day-1. Updated Singles Draw
[/alert]Day-1. Updated Doubles Draw
[/alert][6] Filip Krajinovic -40- (SRB) | Round-1 Announcer Introduction
He is a 3-time ATP Tour Finalist, owns 10 Challenger Tour Singles titles, is a Davis Cup Semifinalist, and has been ranked as high World #26. His breakthrough season came in 2017, where he leapt over 200-points in the ATP rankings – winning 5 Challenger titles, and reaching his debut Tour-level Final at the Paris Masters. Last season, he was a Finalist twice more, in Budapest and Stockholm – and delivered career-best runs at the Majors, reaching the 3rd-Round of both the Australian and French Opens. Competing in his 4th Qatar ExxonMobil Open – five-years-ago, he teamed with Novak Djokovic to reach his first career Doubles Semifinal right here in Doha. From Serbia – This is Filip Krajinovic.
▲ R1 — def Kyle Edmund -69- (GBR) | Score: 46 63 63
Announcer Corner | Filip Krajinovic
Like so many on Tour, Filip spent his Junior career training out of Bradenton, Florida. He first found the spotlight as an 18-year-old, local upstart at the 2010 Serbian Open. A Wild Card, ranked outside the top-300, he earned a pair of deciding-set victories in the first two rounds, only to face World #2 Novak Djokovic in the Quarterfinals. Injured, Novak retired after losing the first set, and Krajinovic earned a spot in his first Tour level Semifinal. American Sam Querrey ended his Cinderella run in straight sets.
Filip’s breakthrough season came 7-years later. In 2017, he won 5 ATP Challenger Tour titles, climbing the rankings ladder hand-over-fist. In his final event, he reached the Final of the Paris Masters as a qualifier – winning six matches and avoiding a clash with Rafael Nadal, who retired before their Quarterfinal. Though he lost the championship match to Jack Sock, the week in Paris was a tremendous bookend to a season that saw him leap from World #235 during week-1, to World #34 by season’s end.
After an injury riddled 2018 – last year, Filip’s challenge was to reestablish his top-50 status. With determination and focus, he delivered. In Melbourne, he reached the 3rd-Round of a Major for the first time, then did it again at Roland Garros. During the Spring, when his ranking dropped outside the top-100, he accepted the fact that he needed more matches under his belt, and embraced the Challenger circuit. He reached the Final of the Mouratoglou Open and won his 10th Challenger title in Heilbronn. As a qualifier in Budapest, he reached his 2nd Tour-level Final. Then in October, reached his 3rd in Stockholm. Again, with work-ethic and poise, Krajinovic stormed up the rankings ladder to finish the season as the World #40.
Kyle Edmund -69- (GBR) | Round-1 Announcer Introduction
In 2016, as a 20-year-old qualifier ranked outside the top-100, he reached his first career ATP Tour Quarterfinal right here in Doha, earning his first top-50 victory in the Opening Round. Four years later, he’s a Grand Slam Semifinalist, a Davis Cup Champion, a Laver Cup Champion, owns 1 ATP Tour Singles titles, 6 Challenger titles, and has been ranked as high as World #14. At the 2018 Australian Open, he defeated World #3 Grigor Dimitrov to make his Grand Slam Semifinal debut. And later that year in Madrid, upset both Novak Djokovic and David Goffin to reach his first Masters-1000 Quarterfinal. Back in Doha, where his run to the top-15 began – from Great Britain, he is Kyle Edmund.
▼ R1 — lost [6] Filip Krajinovic -40- (SRB) | Score: 64 36 36
Announcer Corner | Kyle Edmund
Kyle’s Davis Cup debut in 2015’s World Group Final was life-altering. At the time, Edmund was 20-years-old, ranked World #100. He lost the opening Singles Rubber, but it was a confidence boosting performance on clay in Belgium. He was up 2-sets to love against the World #16 before David Goffin awoke, allowing Kyle only 3-games the rest of the way. No worries – Andy Murray sealed the victory, winning two Singles and the Doubles Rubber with brother Jamie. For the first time in 79-years, Great Britain claimed the Davis Cup title. 20-year-old Kyle Edmund was part of history, and proved to himself that he belonged. He had the skill-set to battle the sport’s brightest under testy conditions.
Two months later in Doha, he won a pair of qualifiers and launched the 2016 season by earning his first top-50 victory. In Round-2, he outlasted Daniel Munoz de la Nava in a late night on one o the outer courts, defeating the World #75 in a deciding set tiebreak. With the victory, Edmund reached his first career ATP Tour Quarterfinal. His ascent continued.
In 2017, Kyle spent nearly the entire year inside the ATP’s top-50, winning a career best 30 Tour-level matches – and by 2018, he was a absolute force.
