“I’m Happy To Be Here For Another Year”: Wawrinka Starts 2020 With Win In Doha

Top seed Stan Wawrinka enjoyed a strong start in his first singles match of the 2020 ATP Tour season, defeating Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

Wawrinka, who also teamed up with Frances Tiafoe for a first-round win Monday in doubles, saved six of seven break points faced on serve while capitalising on three of his nine opportunities for the 87-minute victory. He improved to a perfect 7-0 record against Chardy.

“I’m really happy with the first match of the season after a few months without playing matches,” said Wawrinka, the 2008 Doha finalist. “I think the level was good. I was really focussed, moving well also.”

“I’m happy to be still playing at good level,” he said. “I’m happy to be here for another year and hopefully a good one for me.”

Wawrinka will next meet Aljaz Bedene, who advanced to the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Alexander Bublik. Wawrinka and Bedene will be facing off for a fifth time, and for a fourth time in the opening week of the season. They met three straight years in Chennai, splitting their first two meetings in the 2013-14 quarter-finals before Wawrinka triumphed in the 2015 final.

In first-round action Tuesday, eighth-seeded American Tiafoe succumbed to Hungarian qualifier Marton Fucsovics 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Fifth seed Laslo Djere closed out a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Italian Lorenzo Sonego, and Turkish wild card Cem Ilkel defeated Ricardas Berankis 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.