Qatar Open 2022 - Andy Murray gets revenge on Australian Open conqueror Taro Daniel with straight-sets victory

ByHarry Latham Coyle

Updated 15/02/2022 at 21:43 GMT

Taro Daniel dumped Andy Murray out of the second round in Melbourne last month, but could not match Murray in the Doha heat. Granted an immediate opportunity to avenge since that Australian Open exit, the former British no.1 showed particular strength on his first serve and cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 win. He will face second seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the next round.

Andy Murray got revenge on his Australian Open conqueror Taro Daniel at the Qatar Open.

Playing for the first time since losing to Daniel the second round in Melbourne, Murray was rarely troubled by the Japanese player, who had produced the performance of his career to knock out the three-time major winner on the Australian hard courts.

Showing particular strength on his first serve, Murray played a clean game, taking five of 11 break points in a 6-2, 6-2 win to progress to the Round of 16.

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The Scot was granted a wildcard into the main draw in Doha. He is a two-time winner of the Qatari event, taking the second of consecutive titles in 2009.

Afterwards, the 34-year-old said: "Obviously the results from 12 years ago aren’t going to affect the results this week.

"But what it tells me is that the conditions here are good for my game, so if I can play to a good level, the courts are going to suit me here and I’ll make it difficult for everyone I play against.

"He [Daniel] played very well in Australia. He had a very good run there and was too good for me there.

"I tried to be the one dictating from the first point and I thought I did that well. It was one of the better matches I’ve played in recent months.”

Murray will play second seed Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the quarter-finals.

Watch Murray's final moments at Australian Open 2022 after defeat to Daniel

The Spaniard, a fellow former winner and the beaten finalist last year, received a first round bye.

The winner of that match will take on the victor of another British-Iberian clash - fifth seed Dan Evans will take on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after the Spanish starlet secured a comfortable win over Malek Jaziri on Tuesday.

Seventh seed Alexander Bublik is also through, easing beyond qualifier Jozef Kovalik, but South Africa's Lloyd Harris crashed out of the competition.

The eighth seed was beaten by Hungarian veteran Marton Fucsovics, who set up a meeting with Kwon Soon-woo.

In doubles action, Evans and partner Ken Skupski were beaten by Fabrice Martin and Andrey Golubev.

In a relatively even encounter, the British pair's failure to take any of four break points cost them as the French and Kazakh coalition advanced to the quarter-finals.

The duo, who are both former French Open doubles finalists with other partners, will encounter Bublik and Fucsovics in the last eight.

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