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ANNNOUNCER ANDY TAYLOR RETURNS TO THE QATAR TENNIS FEDERATION TEAM
Since the 2011 Doha Arab Games, announcer Andy Taylor has been a fixture with the QTF. From the Qatar TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil Open – to the Qatar Classic Squash Championship, the PSA Men’s World Championship, and World Padel Championship.
Over 10-years, he regularly returned to this gleaming city on the Arabian Gulf; but last year stepped-back from hosting international events to slow down and focus on other aspects of his voice acting career.
He made it eight months.
After 240 days in the recording booth. Behind a microphone. Only communicating with clients and partners through email, messaging, and video apps. – He realized how much he truly values the authenticity of in-person performance, and the “community” associated with working together, in person, alongside other professionals committed to excellence.
In August, Andy Taylor returned to New York for his 21st consecutive year as the Voice of the US Open; and this February, returns to work alongside his revered colleagues at the Qatar Tennis Federation as the announcer and host of the 2023 Qatar TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil Opens.
► MORE ANNOUNCER RECAPS FROM THE 2023 QATAR TOTALENERGIES OPEN
Last year, for the 5th time since 2015, the players voted the Qatar ExxonMobil Open ATP-250 Tournament of the Year.
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QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN | SINGLES CHAMPIONS
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QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN | DOUBLES CHAMPIONS
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2023 QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN: DEFENDING CHAMPION RETURNS
Remarkably, last year’s championship match featured a repeat of the previous Doha Final: Nikoloz Basilashvili versus Roberto Bautista Agut. In 2021, Basilashvili emerged the victor, in a tournament where Georgia’s top talent defeated Roger Federer in the maestro’s long awaited return to the sport.
Last year, Bautista Agut was on a mission, losing only THREE GAMES in his first two matches (Andy Murray, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina). In the Semifinals, he came-back from a set-down to defeat Karen Khachanov, reaching his third Doha Final – where he captured his second falcon behind a 6-3 6-4 victory.
Roberto is now one of only six players since 1993 who have won the Doha title twice. Roger Federer remains the only 3-time Qatar ExxonMobil Open champion. Should Bautista Agut reach the championship match again, he will join Andy Murray and Gael Monfils as a 4-time Doha Finalist.
Meanwhile, Nikoloz Basilashvili will have to qualify to make a deep run. He had trouble stringing wins together after his Finalist run last year. In September, he dropped outside the top-90 following a Round-1 loss to Fernando Verdasco in Sofia.
4 FORMER DOHA CHAMPIONS IN THE 2023 FIELD
- Roberto Bautista Agut | Champion: 2022, 2019 – Finalist: 2021
- Nikoloz Basilashvili | Champion: 2021 – Finalist: 2022
- Andrey Rublev | Champion: 2020 – Finalist: 2018 – Doubles Champion: 2021
- Andy Murray | Champion: 2009, 2008 – Finalist: 2017, 2007
Last year, 2-time champion Andy Murray returned to Doha for the first time since his finalist run in 2017 – where he fell to Novak Djokovic in a decider. After a routine rout of Taro Daniel in Round-1, Roberto Bautista Agut smoked the 2-time Olympic Gold medalist 6-0 6-1. Murray’s back this year with a Wild Card, slotted to face World #60 Lorenzo Sonego in the opening round.
Another former champion in this year’s field is two-time Finalist and 2021 Doubles champion Andrey Rublev. A Singles finalist in 2018, two years later Andrey captured the falcon during a soggy week-1 event in Doha.
Top-10 talents making their Doha debut include 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
20-FEB to 25-FEB | KHALIFA INTERNATIONAL TENNIS AND SQUASH COMPLEX
Qualifying for the 31st edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open begins Saturday, February 18th with a field of 16 talents, including two qualifying Wild Cards. After the final round on Sunday, four qualifiers will reach the 1st-Round of main draw play, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
When Round-1 concludes on Tuesday, the Round of 16 gets underway Wednesday. Followed by the Quarterfinals Thursday, the Semifinals and Doubles Final Friday, and the Singles Championship on Saturday evening. Total prize purse for this year’s tournament: $1,377,025.
