Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2020 Gets Underway

Doha, January 07 (QNA) -The Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2020 got off to a good start on Monday with seven exciting encounters in the singles event and four in the doubles. Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik got the best of tournament's seventh-seed Adrian Mannarino of France with a 6-3, 6-4 straight set victory to book a second round clash with Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene, who staged a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback win against Sweden's Mikael Ymer, while Frenchman Corentin Moutet, a qualifier, advanced into the next round after defeating USA's Tennys Sandgren 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. For Doha-resident and former World No. 7 Fernando Verdasco, his pre-tournament prediction of going as far as possible at this year's event remains firmly on course as he racked up six aces en route his 6-4, 6-3 defeat of fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar in their 90-minute encounter. Meanwhile, top-seed Stan Wawrinka, who got a first round bye in the singles, was in the thick of the action in the doubles event on Monday. The three-time Grand Slam winner paired up with USA's Frances Tiafoe to defeat the duo of second-seed Andrey Rublev and Bublik 6-3, 7-6 (8-6). Wawrinka, who was a runner-up to Britain's Andy Murray in 2008, will begin his quest for the golden falcon trophy in Doha with a second-round action against France's Jeremy Chardy, who sent his compatriot Gregoire Barrere packing with 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory. (QNA)