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[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-microphone”] Match Recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Stan Wawrinka advances to the Quarterfinals
Back in the top-15 for the first time since gaining his bionic knee, Stan Wawrinka owned both his opponent and a match-intruding cat on Tuesday night. During the first set, while a few linesmen and chair umpire Richard Haigh scrambled to shoo the invader from the court – Stan simply strolled over with a tennis ball, bounced it through the sponsor-wrapped frame where the cat was hiding, and saved the day.
Big Match Stan’s problem-solving poise and ability to improvise aren’t exclusive to tennis, although both are equally impressive. Down an early break in set-2, Stan quickly recovered, won five straight games, and was on to the Quarterfinals in under 90-minutes.
Stan Wawrinka is now 7-0 versus Jeremy Chardy
► 2020. Wawrinka – Score: 63 64 – Doha (R2) ► 2019. Wawrinka – Score: 64 63 67(3) 63 – US Open (R2) ► 2016. Wawrinka – Score: 64 63 75 – Roland Garros (R3) ► 2013. Wawrinka – Score: 64 76(2) – ‘s-Hertogenbosch (QF) ► 2012. Wawrinka – Score: 76(1) 67(6) 75 – Tokyo (R16) ► 2012. Wawrinka – Score: 75 61 – Acapulco (QF) ► 2009. Wawrinka – Score: 64 75 – Madrid (R2)
Day-2. Updated Singles Draw
[/alert]Day-2. Updated Doubles Draw
[/alert][1] Stan Wawrinka -15- (SUI) | Round-2 Announcer Introduction
They call him “Big Match Stan” for a reason. He is a 3-time Grand Slam Champion, a 4-time Major Finalist, an Olympic Gold Medalist, and a Davis Cup Champion. Ranked as high as World #3, he owns 16 career Singles titles – and just 3-months-ago, reached his 30th career Final at the European Open in Antwerp. Competing in his 6th Qatar ExxonMobil Open, he was a Finalist here in Doha 12-years-ago – after earning his first career victory over defending champion Ivan Ljubicic in the 2008 Semifinals. From Switzerland, please welcome this year’s top-seed, Stan Wawrinka.
▲ R2 — def Jeremy Chardy -54- (FRA) | Score: 63 64 ▲ R1 — Bye
Announcer Corner | Stan Wawrinka
Last season, Wawrinka climbed from World #66 in Doha to World #16 by season’s end. He reached two Finals, including Rotterdam and Antwerp – a huge improvement from the year prior. The climb back to the top hasn’t been easy for the 3-time Major Champion. After Wimbledon in 2017, season-ending knee surgery kept him away from the game for 6-months. Stan entered 17 events in 2018 – but with early exits, only played 34 matches. More confident on his surgically enhanced knee in 2019 – he entered 20 events, played 52 matches, and won 33 of them. Big Match Stan is back.
Jeremy Chardy -54- (FRA) | Round-2 Announcer Introduction
Last night, he earned a 3-set win over Qualifier Gregoire Barrere to reach tonight’s 2nd-Round match – and he is back in Doha for the first time since capturing the 2017 Doubles title with partner Fabrice Martin. Since then, they’ve won 2 additional Doubles titles – and last June, reached their first Grand Slam Doubles Final at Roland Garros. He’s a Davis Cup Champion, a 2-time Davis Cup Finalist, owns 1 ATP Singles title, is a 3-time Singles Finalist, and has earned 12 career victories over top-10 opponents – including a deciding-set tiebreak win over Roger Federer in Rome. Competing in his 5th Qatar ExxonMobil Open – From France, this is Jeremy Chardy.
▼ R2 — loss [1] Stan Wawrinka -15- (SUI) | Score: 36 46 ▲ R1 — def [Q] Gregoire Barrere -83- (FRA) | Score: 63 26 63 | RECAP
Announcer Corner | Jeremy Chardy
Thanks to his partnership with countryman Fabrice Martin – over the past two seasons, Jeremy Chardy’s Doubles success has eclipsed his Singles results. 3-years-ago, in just their 3rd event together, Jeremy and Fabrice captured their first Doubles title together here in Doha after dispatching top-seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the Semifinals. Last season, they won two additional titles and reached the Final at Roland Garros.
That said, Chardy is still a menace one-on-one. Last season in Singles, he opened his campaign with a Semifinal run in Brisbane, knocking-out defending champion Nick Kyrgios in the 2nd-Round. He struggled to earn consistent results the rest of the year – but his Doubles play was spot-on. Not only did he capture 2 titles with Martin, he won a 3rd in Rotterdam with Henri Kontinen – bringing his career total to 7 Doubles titles in 15 Finals.
Though his Singles ranking dropped to World #80 by July, he recovered in the second half of the season. He capped the year with another top-10 victory – upsetting World #4 Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Masters. As a Qualifier, he clawed his way to the Round of 16 and finished the season just outside the top-50.
