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[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-microphone”] Match Recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Rain-delayed Quarterfinal Victory
Thursday’s rain completely derailed the 2020 Qatar ExxonMobil Open schedule. Yesterday, thunderstorms washed-out three of the four Quarterfinals, including this one.
20-year-old Miomir Kecmanovic won the only Quarterfinal completed on Thursday, ending Marton Fucsovics’ run in just under an hour. The Serb will face Andrey Rublev later tonight, after the 2018 Finalist dispatched Pierre-Hugues Herbert earlier today on Court-1.
Stan Wawrinka advances to the Semifinals | Will play again TONIGHT
With only two days left to complete the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, the remaining players have no alternative. All three of today’s Quarterfinal winners play again tonight for a shot in the Final. Additionally, both Doubles Semifinal victors will pull “double duty,” returning tonight for the Doubles Championship.
In today’s second match on Center Court, 3-time Major Champion and 2008 Doha Finalist Stan Wawrinka wasted no time with Aljaz Bedene. Knowing it takes 2-wins today to compete for the Falcon tomorrow, Stan played steady and safe – conserving energy, taking chances when the moments arrived.
In tonight’s last match on Center Court, Stan faces an inspired French qualifier, Corentin Moutet. The 20-year-old has won five matches this week, including a win earlier today over Fernando Verdasco. In pursuit of his 17th career title, Wawrinka is the clear favorite based both on experience and time spent on court.
But this is tennis. Anything can happen.
Day-5. Updated Singles Draw
[/alert]Day-5. Updated Doubles Draw
[/alert][1] Stan Wawrinka -15- (SUI) | Quarterfinal 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.
▲ QF — def Aljaz Bedene -58- (SLO) | Score: 63 64 ▲ R2 — def Jeremy Chardy -54- (FRA) | Score: 63 64 | RECAP ▲ 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.
Aljaz Bedene -58- (SLO) | Quarterfinal Announcer Introduction
At 30-years-old, he is a 4-time ATP Tour Finalist, and owns 16 Challenger Tour Singles titles in 18 career Finals. In fact, from March of 2017 to last September, he went undefeated at the Challenger level for 2-and-a-half years – capturing 5 consecutive titles, winning 27 successive matches. Ranked as high as World #43 – last season he was a Finalist in Metz, earned 3 wins over top-20 opponents – and at the US Open, reached Round-3 of a Major for the 3rd time. Through to the Doha Quarterfinals for the first time, from Slovenia – This is Aljaz Bedene.
▼ QF — def [1] Stan Wawrinka -15- (SUI) | Score: 36 46 ▲ R2 — def Alexander Bublik -66- (KAZ) | Score: 63 75 | RECAP ▲ R1 — def [Q] Michael Ymer -76- (SWE) | Score: 36 64 63 | RECAP
Announcer Corner | Aljaz Bedene
Bedene’s Challenger record is exemplary. After winning the Irving title in 2017, he went undefeated at the Challenger level for 30 straight months. During that stretch, he won four additional titles – finally snapping his 27-match unbeaten streak in Orleans, France last September. He hasn’t lost a Challenger Final since 2016 (another Irving Final). Impressive.
That said, Bedene’s schedule over the past three years has focused squarely on Tour-level events. In 2017, he won 19 ATP Tour matches; 21 in 2018. Last season he earned 20 Tour-level victories, including a top-15 win over Fabio Fognini on clay in Cordoba. He’s a consistent talent who continues to make the most of his potential. Many of his matches feature tiebreaks. And when he loses, it’s often in a deciding set.
