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[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-microphone”] Match Recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Miomir Kecmanovic advances to the Semifinals
Today’s 90-minute rain delay was a minor distraction for 20-year-old Miomir Kecmanovic. Yesterday, he took-out 2012 Champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Today, he played even better, dominating a ridiculously fit Marton Fucsovics with precision and accuracy. The Serb was unbeatable – the type of unbeatable Rafael Nadal felt facing Novak Djokovic in the 2016 Doha Final.
Up 5-0, serving for the match, an enormous clap of thunder rocked the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex as Miomir rose from the changeover. He quickly got to work – and at match point, it started to pour. On Miomir’s final serve, Marton graciously dumped a return into the net and the two scrambled off the court.
And with that, Kecmanovic starts his 2020 the same way he ended 2019: Competing in a ATP Tour hard-court Semifinal. Back in November, he reached his first Tour-level hard-court Semifinal at the Next Gen Finals in Milan. Weather permitting, tomorrow he’ll face either Andrey Rublev or Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Here’s the kicker: Today, due to the relentless rain, Herbert and Rublev’s match was moved to Court-1. They were only able to complete two holds before rain washed them off the court. At 8:30p, due to the gloomy forecast, tournament organizers cancelled the rest of the day’s session. Therefore, Rublev and Herbert will have to complete their Quarterfinal tomorrow starting at 12:30 on Court-1, then take-on a rested Miomir Kecmanovic in the Semifinals later that evening.
Not ideal – unless you’re Miomir Kecmanovic.
Day-4. Updated Singles Draw
[/alert]Day-4. Updated Doubles Draw
[/alert]Miomir Kecmanovic -62- (SRB)| Quarterfinal Announcer Introduction
At just 20-years-old, last night he defeated 2012 Doha Champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to reach the Quarterfinals in his Doha debut. Remarkably, last year at this time – he’d never won a single ATP Tour-level match. But since then, he’s won 26 of them – including a stunning upset of World #6 Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati – and in just 9 months, jumped nearly 100-points in the rankings to crack the ATP’s top-50 for the first time. A Finalist in Atalya, he capped the season by reaching the Final-4 in his ATP Next Gen Finals debut. From Serbia – This is Miomir Kecmanovic
▲ QF — def [Q] Marton Fucsovics -70- (HUN) | Score: 62 60 ▲ R2 — def [3] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga -30- (FRA) | Score: 76(9) 61 | RECAP ▲ R1 — def Jordan Thompson -63- (AUS) | Score: 64 62 | RECAP
Announcer Corner | Miomir Kecmanovic
Another outstanding talent with Bradenton roots, Miomir is a former Junior World #1. In 2015, he captured the Orange Bowl title, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the championship match. He graduated to the Challenger circuit in 2017, and has since captured two titles in three Finals. Last season, he shifted his focus to ATP Tour qualifying – and it paid dividends starting week-1. In Brisbane, he won a pair of matches to reach the main draw, then earned his first Tour-level victory over Leonardo Mayer. 23 wins later, he enters the New Year as a top-60 talent – and an automatic main-draw contender at the Majors. His ascent continues.
[Q] Marton Fucsovics -70- (HUN) | Quarterfinal Announcer Introduction
A qualifier in this year’s draw, he defeated this year’s #8-seed Frances Tiafoe in Round-1, then Turkey’s Jem Ilkel to reach today’s Quarterfinal match. Last year, in his Doha debut, he took World #1 Novak Djokovic to a deciding set – then went-on to reach his 2nd ATP Tour Final in Sofia, and climbed to a career-high ranking of World #31. In 2018, he captured his debut title in Geneva, becoming the first Hungarian to win an ATP title in 36-years. Through to his first Qatar ExxonMobil Open Quarterfinal – From Hungary, this is Marton Fucsovics.
▼ QF — loss Miomir Kecmanovic -62- (SRB) | Score: 26 06 ▲ R2 — def Cem İlkel -279- (TUR) | Score: 61 64 | RECAP ▲ R1 — def [8] Frances Tiafoe -47- (USA) | Score: 64 46 64 | RECAP ▲ QR2 — def Jiri Vesely -105- (CZE) | Score: 46 61 64 | RECAP ▲ QR1 — def Egor Gerasimov -98- (BLR) | Score: 64 16 63 | RECAP
Announcer Corner | Marton Fucsovics
Marton’s fitness fuels his dogged determination, making him one of the most challenging foils for the Tour’s top talent. In 2018, he dispatched Sam Querrey (then the World #13) at the Australian Open en route to the Round of 16. Those three wins were his first main draw Grand Slam victories. Later that Summer, during a humid, sweat-soaked clash at the US Open, he took Novak Djokovic 4-sets under punishing week-1 conditions in Flushing. Last year in Doha, he pushed Novak again here in Doha, winning the first set 6-4 before falling in three.
Truth be told, 2019 was not as rewarding as Marton’s breakthrough in 2018. His ranking – and the fact that he had to qualify this weekend – reflects that. But never discount an opponent who thrives on hard work and punishment. When the chiseled Hungarian is in rhythm, he makes life difficult for all comers.
