QatarTribune Qatar_Tribune QatarTribuneChannel qatar_tribune Punctures slow down Attiyah on Dakar Rally’s opening day PAGE 15 MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2020 QTF seeks to raise Big guns eye flourishing Qatar ExxonMobil Open profile to start as lesser knowns that of Masters TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK brace up for Doha show DOHA LAST year, the Qatar Exx- onMobil Open 2019 won the VINAY NAYUDU ATP Best Tournament Trophy DOHA for a third time in five years. The other two interna- THREE of the top four seeds tional tennis meets to be at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open named as 2019 Tourna- 2020 are eagerly seeking a ments of The Year were the telling start to their new sea- BNP Paribas Open (Indian son’s campaign. As such their Wells) and Abierto Mexi- quest is sure to provide the cano Telcel presentado por Raising standards Doha tournament the spark HSBC (Acapulco). Qatar ExxonMobil Open is and keen competition at the The Qatar ExxonMobil Khalifa International Tennis & Open, a 250 category ATP not less than any ATP 500 Squash Complex. Tour event held in the open- tournament. We hope to Three-time Grand Slam ing week of the season in raise the Qatar champion Stanislas Wawrin- Doha has set high standards championship to that of a ka, 2018 runner-up in Doha since its inception in 1993 Masters. The problem is Andrey Rublev, 2008 Austral- and continues to build its in the crowding of the ian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried reputation for its superb fa- Tsonga, and 2016 Wimble- cility, world-class hospitality calendar; there are nine don finalist Milos Raonic are and welcoming fans. Masters category among the top guns vying to The tournament venue – tournaments with 1000 be crowned the first singles Khalifa International Tennis points. We are in talks with champion of the 2020 season. & Squash Complex – and the the ATP and hopefully soon Out of these, top-seeded organization has improved Wawrinka, 2nd seed Rublev and to new world standards since we can expect something. 3rd placed Tsonga – have all Boris Becker first won the tro- – Tariq Zainal, Secretary- been nominated for 2019 Come- phy in Doha way back in 1993. General, Qatar Tennis back Player of the Year. They are It is natural then that the also all former finalists in Doha. Qatar Tennis Federation is Federation Wawrinka finished run- looking to raise the tourna- ner-up to Andy Murray in ment’s category profile seek- Tennis Federation (ITF) 2008 and Rublev to Gael ing to have participation of because they created a new Monfils in 2018, whileT songa more top-ranked players. team championship (the ATP won the title in 2008 with vic- The Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha is all set for Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2020 which begins on Monday. Explaining their efforts, Cup) that is being held in the tory over Monfils in the final. Tariq Zainal, Secretary-Gen- same week of the Qatar Open. Swissman Wawrinka has eral, Qatar Tennis Federa- “The ITF tournament already made his serious in- Monday Schedule tion, said, “Qatar ExxonMo- has the participation of the tentions known ahead of the bil Open is not less than any best 24 countries partici- tournament tweeting about CENTRE COURT ATP 500 tournament. pate, and the ITF only or- 3.30pm: Alexan der Bublik (KAZ) vs 7-Adrian Mannarino (FRA) his fitness and eagerness. 5.30pm: Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs Pablo Andujar (ESP) “It’s the best in financial ganises this tournament an- The 34-year-old’s 2019 Followed by: Q-Gregoire Barrere (FRA) vs Jeremy Chardy (FRA) prize. While some tourna- nually and insists that it be resurrection has had a fasci- Followed by: Kyle Edmund (GBR) vs Filip Krajinovic (SRB) ments from the 250 category held at the beginning of the nating sub-plot that provided offer $400,000 in prize, Qa- calendar. The ITF gave us COURT 1 an insight into how he halved 3.30pm: Q-Corentin Moutet (FRA) vs Tennys Sandgren (USA) tar ExxonMobil Open offers various options to establish his ATP Ranking and then Followed by: Q-Mikael Ymer (SWE) vs Aljaz Bedene (SLO) prizes of up to $1.3mn. our tournament, however, it halved it again this season. Followed by: Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) vs Jordan Thompson “We won the ATP award was not appropriate to us.” The Swiss was No. 68 in (AUS) in 250 category last year for Zeinal pointed out, February last year, and fin- COURT 2 the third time in the last five “There is an agreement be- ished the season by storming 3.30pm: Ricardas Berankis (LTU) & Milos Raonic (CAN) vs Stanislas Wawrinka tweeted years and we are very proud. tween QTF and ITF that northward all the way back up Luke Bambridge (GBR) & Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) this picture of his following a Our secret is our teamwork. the tournament will be held to No. 16. Followed by: WC-Malek Jaziri (TUN) & Rashed Nawaf (QAT) vs sand duning session in Doha We always learn from our during the next versions on 2-Henri Kontinen (FIN) & Franko Skugor (CRO) Wawrinka held a career- Followed by: Alexander Bublik (KAZ) & Andrey Rublev (RUS) vs on Saturday. The Swiss will mistakes and make it better January 21 or 22 and it was high ranking of No. 3 as re- Frances Tiafoe (USA) & Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) be seen in doubles action on the next time. We make sure agreed that this edition will cently as July 2017, but two Monday partnering Frances that we always improve.” be held from January 6 to knee operations later in 2017 COURT 3 Tiafoe of the US against Andrey Talking about the raising 11 and next season’s tourna- 3.30pm: Marco cecchinato (ITA) & Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) vs knocked his ranking all the Rohan Bopanna (IND) & Wesley Koolhof (NED) Rublev of Russia and Alexan- the tier of the tournament, ment date will change due to way down to No. 263. der Bublik of Kazakhstan. he said, “We hope to raise the the organisation of the To- His last outdoor hard court Qatar championship to that kyo 2020 Olympics.” trophy was in 2016 when he of a Masters. The problem is Zainal was hopeful that captured his third and most in the crowding of the calen- a way would be worked out recent Grand Slam at the US he’s reckoned as a big challeng- ident Fernando Verdasco, Britain’s Kyle Edmund. Also on the scene will dar; there are nine Masters soon and possibly by 2022 Open. er against anyone in the world. who will be involved in an American Tennys Sand- be India’s well known Da- category tournaments with for Qatar to have a more Frenchman Tsonga, mean- While these players have a all-Spanish clash with Pablo gren meets qualifier Corentin vis Cupper Rohan Bopanna 1000 points. If we find any vibrant and more action- while, has already held aloft dominant presence in the draw Andujar. Similarly, French- Moutet of France, Slovakian along with Dutch Wesley city that organises a Masters packed tournament possibly the Falcon trophy once in 2012 and their appointed places, man Jeremy Chardy will take Aljaz Bedene plays qualifier Koolhof against Italian pair tournament and wants to sell as an ATP500 or 1000 event. and knows what it takes to there are some dangerous float- on compatriot and qualifier Mikael Ymer of Sweden, and of Marco Cecchinato and Lor- (the rights to host), we will “In all our work, we seek reach there again in this part ers too, and in sport no player Gregoire Barrere. Australian Jordan Thompson enzo Sonego. buy it immediately.” to promote the name of Qa- of the world. can be ignored as no threat. A win for Chardy will see will play Miomir Kecmanovic Overcast conditions on The 2020 edition kicks tar by improving the organi- Russian Rublev is young Among the lesser knowns him play Wawrinka in the sec- of Serbia. Sunday followed by light off on Monday which is a zation, which makes players and fearless at 22 and aim for and who would be beginning ond round. In the doubles action, there showers saw the mercury drop week ahead of the usual De- (though there is more than another shot at the title after the proceedings on Monday is Serbian Laslo Djere, seed- will be Qatar’s Rashed Nawaf by quite a few degrees. cember 31st start. one championship held at Monfils killed his dream in the 7th seeded Adrian Mannarino ed five, plays Italian Lorenzo teaming up with Tunisian wild Exciting tennis from “A year and a half ago we the same time) prefer to final two years ago. of France, who plays Kazakh Sonego, while 6th seed Filip card Malek Jaziri against Fin- Monday would provide for were in permanent discus- participate in Qatar Exxon Canadian Raonic, mean- Alexander Bublik. Krajinovic (Serbia) will have land’s Henri Kontinen and fans for just the right mix in sion with the International Mobil Open.” while, will look to show why Then there is Doha-res- a late evening meeting with Croatian Franko Skugor. the week ahead. Tsitsipas whips Zverev as top names crash at ATP Cup AFP now ranked six, was in a dif- and played clever again. I Belgium’s Goffin saved five Stefano Travaglia won SYDNEY ferent league to Zverev, who managed to stay calm and match points against Dan Ev- the other singles and Fognini only began hitting balls a week positive in my head.” ans, but it was too little, too bounced back alongside Si- STEFANOS Tsitsipas whipped ago after an off-season cur- The Boris Becker-cap- late as he crashed 6-4, 6-4 in mone Bolelli to take the decid- an error-strewn Alexander tailed by a lucrative exhibition tained Germans have now won Sydney for one of the biggest ing doubles rubber.