By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday February 20, 2024
Murray and two other former champions moved into the second round in Doha on Tuesday.
Photo Source: TTV
It was a good day for former champions at Doha. Two-time former champion (2008 and 2009) Andy Murray, 2013 champion Richard Gasquet and 2018 champion Gael Monfils each moved into the round of 16 in straight sets on Tuesday.
For Murray and Gasquet it was part triumph, part relief. Both entered the day with 0-4 records on the season and both came away with impressive wins.
Murray defeated French qualifier Alexandre Muller 6-1, 7-6(5), while Gasquet handled Alexander Shevchenko, 6-4, 6-4.
“Obviously the past few months have been really tough on the court for me,” said Murray after his win. “I’ve not won many matches and lost a lot of close ones as well, and it was getting tight at the end there as well, so obviously delighted to get through.
"I am Just proud that I managed to get through the match, get another win under my belt, and I’m happy for my team who have been working extremely hard with me in trying to find solutions to get me through this difficult moment – hopefully this is the start of a better run.”
Murray will face 18-year-old Jakub Mensik in the next round.
Gasquet will face top seed Andrey Rublev.
Monfils closed out the day with a 6-1, 7-6(9) victory over Botic Van de Zandschulp. The Frenchman rallied from 5-3 down in the second set and saved a total of nine set points before finally converting his fourth match point in the second set tiebreak.
Monfils will face China’s Zhang Zhizhen next.