Share

Wawrinka starts new year with win over Chardy

Doha - Stan Wawrinka opened his 2020 season with a straight-sets win over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP event in Doha.

The three-time Grand Slam champion, the top seed in Qatar, eased to a 6-3, 6-4 victory to set up a last-eight tie against Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene.

The 34-year-old battled back from a break down in the second set to win in under an hour and a half.

The Swiss star was 66th in the ATP rankings 12 months ago after struggling with knee injuries, but a solid 2019 campaign has seen him rise to world number 15.

"I'm happy to still be playing at a good level," he told atptour.com after winning his first competitive match since a last-16 loss to Rafael Nadal at the Paris Masters last October.

"I'm happy to be here for another year and hopefully (it will be) a good one for me."

Wawrinka is playing the tournament for only the second time since a 2008 final defeat by Andy Murray, having lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in last year's quarter-finals.

Results from the Qatar Open on Tuesday (x denotes seeding):

1st round

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Frances Tiafoe (USA x8) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Cem Ilkel (TUR) bt Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2

Laslo Djere (SRB x5) bt Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2

Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) bt Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 6-3, 6-4

Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 6-0, 6-3

2nd round

Stan Wawrinka (SUI x1) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-3, 6-4

Aljaz Bedene (SLO) bt Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 6-3, 7-5

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE