2024-02-20 20:55:06
Eighteen-year-old tennis player Jakub Menšík knocked out fifth-seeded Alejandro Davidovich in Doha in his second start of the year in the main competition of the ATP Tour tournament. Markét Vondroušová and Karolína Plíšková managed to advance in Dubai.
The Czech talent defeated the favored Spaniard in the 1st round 7:6, 6:4 and took another step towards the dream of the top 100 of the world rankings.
Menšík made his successful debut at the Australian Open this year, where in the 2nd round he forced top 10 player Hubert Hurkacz from Poland to five sets.
Last week, the native of Prostejov advanced to the semi-finals of the challenger in Manama and moved to the 116th place in the rankings.
To start in the main competition in Doha, Menšík used the exception for young players of the so-called “Next Gen” category and scored the biggest win of his early career against Davidovich.
In the first set, he showed a great turnaround when, at 4:5, he did not allow his opponent to complete the set, he broke him, and in the tie-break he won clearly 7:3. Right at the beginning of the second act, the Czech youngster took the 24th player in the world’s serve and already maintained the advantage.
“It’s a crazy opportunity to play 250 here in Doha, so I’m very happy to have reached the second round and I’ll do everything in my power to perform this performance there as well,” Menšík told the ATP Tour website, who sports must be combined with studies and this year he will graduate from the sports gymnasium. “I hope that after the summer I will focus 100% on tennis,” he added.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray beat France’s Alexander Müller 6-1, 7-6 to end a six-game losing streak.
Vondroušová and Plíšková won in three sets
Markéta Vondroušová started the big tournament in Dubai with a three million dollar subsidy with a 6:1, 5:7, 6:2 victory in the 2nd round over the American Peyton Stearns. Karolína Plíšková is also in the round of 16, who beat the American Ashlyn Krueger 6:7, 6:3 and 6:4.
The 24-year-old Vondroušová defeated an opponent who was two years younger in their third match after last year’s victories at Wimbledon, where she then went on to win the title, and at the US Open.
After clearly winning the first set, the Czech favorite complicated the situation in the second set, in which she equalized from 1:4 with two breaks to 4:4, but in the end she lost it anyway.
In the decisive action, Vondroušová won four games in a row from 2:2 and advanced after two hours.
The seventh-seeded Czech, who had a free draw in the opening round, will face the tournament’s twelfth seed Lyudmila Samsonova from Russia in the round of 16.
She reached the 3rd round without a fight after the withdrawal of compatriot Anastasia Pavlyučenkova, who eliminated Maria Bouzkova at the start of the tournament and Vondroušová in the round of 16 last week in Doha.
Plíšková confirmed her form against Krueger and claimed her eleventh victory in a row, but last week in Doha she did not start the semi-final duel with world number one Iga Šwiatek from Poland due to a back injury.
Finalist of the tournament in Dubai from 2015 and former number one player Plíšková will play in the round of 16 with world No. 3 Cori Gauff, who defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto from Italy 6:1 and 7:5. With the American, Plíšková has a balanced score of 1:1.
The return to the WTA Tour a month after the successful defense of the title at the Australian Open did not work out for the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenkova. The world number two won the first set in a tie-break against Donna Vekicová, but the Croatian won 12 of the last 13 games and defeated the favorite 6:7, 6:3, 6:0.
Doha Men’s Tennis Tournament (hard surface, $1,493,465 subsidy):
Singles – 1st round: Little one (Czech Republic) – Davidovich (5-Sp.) 7:6 (7:3), 6:4, O’Connell (Aust.) – Struff (6-German) 6:4, 6:4, A. Murray (Brit.) – Müller (Fr.) 6:1, 7:6 (7:5), Ruusuvuori (Fin.) – Zeppieri (It.) 7:6 (7:2), 7:5. Gasquet (Fr.) – Shevchenko (Rus.) 6:4, 6:4, Grenier (Fr.) – Marterer (German) 7:6 (7:5), 7:5, Monfils (Fr.) – Van de Zandschulp (Netherlands) 6:1, 7:6 (11:9).
Doubles – 1st round: PavlásekBehar (Czech Republic/Urug.) – Bautista, Zajíd (Sp./Cat.) 6:1, 6:1.
Dubai Women’s Tennis Tournament (hard court, $3,211,715 endowment):
Singles – 2nd round: Pliskova (CZ) – Kruegerová (USA) 6:7 (2:6), 6:3, 6:4, Vondroušová (7-CZ) – Stearns (USA) 6:1, 5:7, 6:2, Sakkari (8-Greece) – Navarro (USA) 6:2, 6:4, Samsonov (12-Russia) – Pavlyuchenkova (Rus.), Paoliniová (It.) – Fernandezová (Can.) 6:3, 6:4, Frechová (Poland) – Martičová (Croatia) 6:4, 1:6, 6:2, Vekičová ( Croatia) – Sabalenková (2-Belarus) 6:7 (5:7), 6:3, 6:0, Cirsteaová (Romania) – Kuděrmětová (13-Russia) 6:1, 6:4, Kalinská (Rus.) – Bucsaová (Sp.) 6:3, 6:4, Šwiateková (1-Pol.) – Stephensová (USA) 6:4, 6:4, Rybakinová (4-Kaz.) – Azarenkova (Bel. ) 4:6, 6:2 scratch, Cheng Chin-wen (6-China) – Hibinová (Japan) 5:7, 6:2, 6:2, Ostapenko (9-Lot.) – Sunová (Switzerland) 6:4, 6:3, Svitolina (15-Ukraine) – Maria (Germany) 6:3, 6:3, Potapova (Russia) – Bronzetti (Italy) 6:0, 6:3, Gauff ( 3-USA) – Cocciaretto (It.) 6:1, 7:5.
Doubles – 2nd round: SiniakovaHunterová (4-CZ/Austria) – Sutjiadiová, Katóová (Indonesia/Japan) 6:2, 6:2, Kruničová, Aojamaová (Serbia/Japan) – BouzkovaBabosová (CZ/Germany) 6:4, 7:5.