At the 2023 ATP Qatar Open's second round on Wednesday, world number 16 Alexander Zverev will take on Andy Murray, who is ranked 70th.
Follow Us
Although Zverev had a bye in this tournament’s opening round, his general form this year after recovering from an ankle ailment has been disappointing. Zverev has won just three of his eight matches so far this season, but he will hopefully get better as he gains more court comfort. Particularly intriguing are the foes such defeats have been suffered at the hands of. Zverev fell short to Jiri Lehecka at the United Cup, when he competed for Germany. Then, at the first Grand Slam of the year, Michael Mmoh defeated him in four sets. To Marc-Andrea Huesler, there was a Davis Cup loss. Just recently at the Rotterdam Open, Zverev again fell down to Tallon Griekspoor. He did this after grabbing the first set. The problem is that Zverev can’t defeat opponents who are ranked much lower than him. Although he is still recovering from his workout, this presents an opportunity for someone like Andy Murray to profit from the circumstance.
Murray, who made his competitive tennis comeback after the Australian Open, did not have it easy in Doha’s opening round. When faced with the task of Lorenzo Sonego, Murray was forced to play the Italian for three sets before he needed a tiebreaker to prevail. Sonego had eight aces and won 82% of his first serve points, and Murray spent more than two and a half hours on the court to stop him from advancing to the second round. The British player was broken once during the match, but he recovered to win 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 after trailing in the first set (4). Andy Murray was down three match-points off his own serve at 4-5 in the final set, which was dramatic and in which neither player lost his serve, but he rallied to force a tie-breaker. He quickly turned around a 0-3 hole to win six straight points, the match, and this encounter with Alexander Zverev. Can he complete a double?
| Alexander Zverev vs Andy Murray | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 22, 2023 |
| Surface | Hard |
| Tournament | Qatar Open |
| Stage | Round of 16 |
| Time (India) | 12:30 pm (time can be changed) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Tallon Griekspoor | 6-4, 3-6, 4-6 (L) |
| Soon Woo Kwon | 6-4, 7-6 (W) |
| Marc Huesler | 2-6, 6-7 (L) |
| Stan Wawrinka | 6-4, 6-1 (W) |
| Jiri Lehecka | 4-6, 2-6 (L) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Lorenzo Sonego | 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (W) |
| Roberto Bautista | 1-6, 7-6, 3-6, 4-6 (L) |
| Thanasi Kokkinakis | 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 7-5 (W) |
| Matteo | 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 (W) |
| Alex De Minaur | 6-3, 6-3 (W) |
At the top level, there have been three previous confrontations, and Murray is ahead 2-1 all-time. Zverev defeated him in straight sets in their most recent encounter at the 2021 Indian Wells Open.
Alexander Zverev and Andy Murray will take on each other in the round of 16 of the 2023 ATP Qatar Open on February 22.
Australia – beIN Sports
Canada – TSN
India – Tennis TV
UK- Amazon Prime Video
USA – Tennis Channel
All ATP and WTA Tour level matches can be viewed on demand on the Tennis TV website and app.
