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Stan Wawrinka will look to kickstart his 2020 season on a thunderous note as he returns to the Qatar Open as the top seed. For years, this ATP 250 event has been one of the most sought-after tournaments in the lead-up to the Australian Open.
In its 27-year history, the Qatar Open has seen a galaxy of stars descend on this prestigious gulf tournament. With Roger Federer claiming as many as three titles, Stefan Edberg, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray winning a couple of times, and Rafael Nadal triumphing in doubles four times, the tournament continues to enjoy a rich legacy.
In his first competitive match of the year, Wawrinka will return to a very familiar stadium where he made it to the final in 2008. A tight battle in three sets ended in favour of Andy Murray and now, as the top seed, the three-time Grand Slam champion will definitely try his best to get the trophy that he missed out on winning 12 years ago.
Having received a first-round bye, the World No. 15 will take on the 54th-ranked Jeremy Chardy in his quest for a quarter-final berth. The Swiss could not have possibly asked for an easier opponent to face, going by their past record. Wawrinka holds a flawless 6-0 record over the Frenchman and has beaten Chardy on every surface.
That said, the wins haven't been a cakewalk for Wawrinka and the Swiss needs to ensure that his blazing groundstrokes are working from the get-go. Their most recent face-off was at the US Open last year, where Chardy showed enough poise and resilience to take a set off Wawrinka in a tie-break before going down in four.
Having lost in the quarter-finals at Doha last year and not lifting any trophy for two consecutive years, this is the best opportunity for Wawrinka to end that long wait.
Here is all you need to know about the Qatar ExxonMobil Open:
Tournament: Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Category: ATP 250 tournament
Venue: Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar
Match schedule: Stan Wawrinka vs Jeremy Chardy around 8:15 pm IST on January 7, 2020
Head-to-head: Wawrinka leads 6-0
Where to watch the matches in India?
The Qatar Open will not be telecast live in India.
