Doha, Qatar (SportsNetwork.com) – Former top-10 star Richard Gasquet was among
Monday’s first-round winners at the season-opening $1.22 million Qatar Open.
The sixth-seeded Frenchman and 2013 Doha champion handled Spaniard Pablo
Andujar 6-3, 7-5 on the hardcourts at Khalifa International Tennis Complex.
Also on Day 1, German Dustin Brown defeated Italian Paolo Lorenzi 7-6 (7-3),
6-3, Italy’s Simone Bolelli took care of German Benjamin Becker 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
and Croat Ivan Dodig whipped Egyptian wild card Mohamed Safwat 6-3, 6-1.
This week’s top seed is world No. 1 star Novak Djokovic, who will face fellow
Serb Dusan Lajovic in the second round. The second seed here is former No. 1
and reigning champion Rafael Nadal, who missed the last few months of the 2014
season due to injury.
Nadal beat France’s Gael Monfils in last year’s Doha finale.
Doha serves as a tune-up for the Australian Open.
