On Tuesday, the 2023 ATP Qatar Open's defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut will take on unseeded Hungarian Marton Fucsovics.
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In order to start over and recover his rating, Fucsovics seemed to have little choice but to drop down to the ATP’s second tier last season. He has once again been able to break the top 100 and escape the ATP 250 qualifying requirements. Fucsovics got off to a strong start to the year, winning the Canberra Challenger, his sixth victory at that level. He continued on to the third round of the Australian Open, where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner in five sets despite once having a two-sets-to-love advantage. But, since Melbourne, there has been a relatively slow return of results. Due to a foot injury, Fucsovics had to withdraw from his scheduled second-round match in Montpellier after losing his two singles rubbers in the Davis Cup. Despite his recent lacklustre fitness record, Fucsovics has advanced to the quarterfinal on each of his last three trips to Qatar, so he shouldn’t be ignored.
Among the flashy list of previous winners in Doha, Roberto Bautista Agut could be able to stand out. The veteran Spanish player, who has appeared in three finals and won two titles, is back this year to defend his title. By winning the tournament three times, Bautista Agut would break the record currently held by Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Stefan Edberg, and Petr Korda, all of whom have won the event twice. The 34-year-old is still the king of reliability. Seven of his twelve matches this year have ended in victories for him, including a second-place finish in Adelaide 2 and a round of four appearance at the Australian Open. Having lost to Hubert Hurkacz in Rotterdam the previous week, Bautista Agut, who hasn’t won a match since leaving Melbourne, is currently on a three-match losing run. Can the Spaniard recover if he goes back to Doha?
| Roberto Bautista Agut vs Marton Fucsovics | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 21, 2023 |
| Surface | Hard |
| Tournament | Qatar Open |
| Stage | First round |
| Time (India) | 12:30 am (time can be changed) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| A. Fils | 6-3, 6-4 (L) |
| T. Paul | 2-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-7 (L) |
| A. Murray | 1-6, 7-6, 3-6, 4-6 (W) |
| B. Holt | 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, 2-6 (W) |
| J. Sousa | 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 (W) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| J. Sinner | Walkover (L) |
| G. Blancanaeux | 7-5, 5-7, 6-0 (W) |
| A. Mannarino | 6-7, 2-6 (L) |
| U. Humbert | 3-6, 2-6 (L) |
| J. Sinner | 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, 0-6 (L) |
Despite the fact that Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Marton Fucsovics last season in Halle to win his retirement, the two have a 2-1 head-to-head record.
Roberto Bautista Agut and Marton Fucsovics will take on each other in the first round of the 2023 ATP Qatar Open on February 21.
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