TENNIS Live

ATP Doha - 1st Round - Men

Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
United KingdomA Murray66---
SpainA Montanes24---

Andrew Murray

Nationality GBR
Date of Birth 15/05/1987
Height 1.91 m
Weight 84 kg

Albert Montanes

Nationality ESP
 

Live Comments

  1. - - Stay with us for more live scores from the Qatar Open in Doha - the world numbers one and two are in action today. First Rafael Nadal takes on French showman Fabrice Santoro, then Roger Federer goes up against Italy's Potito Starace.

  2. 6-4 - Murray races to a 40-0 advantage and then finishes it with a swerving forehand drive down the line and he eases through to the second round. Far from a vintage performance but it never looked in doubt.

  3. 5-4 - Montanes makes it nine service points won in a row until Murray stops the rot. Well, actually he doesn't, The Spaniard continues to play an aggressive game, coming to the net and closing the gap to 5-4.

  4. 5-3 - That's a bit more like it from Andy Murray, who gathers his wits and his sheer shotmaking ability carries him to within a game of victory.

  5. 4-3 - Three games on the spin for Montanes, who is really throwing caution to the wind and going for his shots. We wanted a test, and now it would seem that Murray is getting one.

  6. 4-2 - An incredibly sloppy game from Murray, featuring several unforced errors and a third double fault that sees the Scot drop his service for the first time. No application at the moment and he needs to get his act together.

  7. 4-1 - Montanes avoids a bagel second set by holding serve. The TV cameras get a shot of the VIP section, which looks opulent to say the least.

  8. 4-0 - This is all a bit disappointing really - Murray is cruising to victory without having to exert himself. Still, if you're complaining that the British guy is winning too easily then things can't be too bad.

  9. 3-0 - Murray squanders two chances for a 3-0 lead, but converts at the third time of asking as Montanes hits long, and the writing is surely on the wall for the Spaniard now. He has a two-break lead.

  10. 2-0 - I think that is Murray's first love service game of the match, funnily enough. He hit a couple of brilliant passes there, including one whipped cross-court forehand off his back foot. Nice.

  11. 1-0 - Murray is starting to get a bit irate with himself as he's far from his best. However, 75 per cent is good enough as he works his way to a third break of the day and takes the edge in the second set!

  12. 6-2 - Murray makes heavy weather of it, playing lacklustre stuff and saving four break points. He eventually converts his fifth set point and takes the first set inside 40 minutes.

  13. 5-2 - Murray has a set point at 30-40 but places the ball just wide as he approaches the net. Montanes holds out and Murray will serve for the set.

  14. 5-1 - Prodigious movement from Murray on a slice backhand dropshot that hardly bounces and turns sharply away from Montanes. Great shot and it brings up a 5-1 lead for the Scot.

  15. 4-1 - Another break for Murray! He doesn't appear to be moving around the court particularly well and is playing with none of the verve or intensity with which he took on Nadal in Sunday's Abu Dhabi final, but at the moment it doesn't seem to matter.

  16. 3-1 - The weather in Doha is not quite as good as you might imagine. The temperature is a tepid 19 degrees centigrade and it is pretty breezy out on court. You'd probably rather be there than anywhere in the UK, though. Despite seeing a poor second serve whacked back past him, Murray holds with ease again.

  17. 2-1 - Murray jumps into an 0-30 lead but then misses a relatively straightforward pass and lets Montanes back into the game. However, two double faults prove the Spaniard's undoing and the first break goes to Murray who has not even hit his stride yet.

  18. 1-1 - So what do we know about Albert Montanes? Well, he's 28, he's a baseliner and his world ranking is 43 - a career high. He's a solid baseliner and his only career ATP Tour title came on clay at Amersfoort last year. Murray holds serve.

  19. 0-1 - These matches involving Spaniards often take a while and this one looks like it could do just that. We have four deuces in the opening game before Montanes eventually holds serve. Plenty of early errors from both players and a scrappy opening.

  20. 13:12 - Game on! Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears and his coach Miles McLagan have positioned themselves at courtside and we are ready to go.

  21. 13:05 - The Scotsman wins the toss and chooses to receive. The players knock up in front of a sparsely-populated crowd.

  22. - - Murray was in sensational form last week when he won in Abu Dhabi, and will be looking for a similar result here against a strong field including Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer - both of whom he beat last week.

  23. - - Welcome to LIVE coverage of Andy Murray's opening match in the Qatar Open, against Spain's Albert Montanes!