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With World No 4 Rafael Nadal of Spain out due to illness his compatriot World No. 5 David Ferrer will lead the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open 2013 field which will get underway here at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex tomorrow. |
The top seed Ferrer, who has made two previous tilts at the title, has been handed an easy draw as he will face a qualifier in the first round. Ferrer lost to Jan-Michael Gambill in the second round in 2002 and in 2005 he lost to Roger Federer in the first round. Ferrer has won ATP World Tour-best seven titles and 76 matches in 2012,
Second seed Richard Gasquet from France, who is making his second appearance here, will also take on a qualifier in the opening ground. The World No 5 Frenchman made his Doha debut in 2006, losing to Tim Henman 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.
Last year’s finalist Gael Monfils of France will face wild card holder Mousa Shaman Zayed of Qatar in the first round. The other two wild card entrants are Jabor Mohammed Ali Mutawa of Qatar and Mohammed Safwat of Egypt.
The third seed Philipp Kholschreiber of Germany World No. 25 and fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, a long-time competitor in the tournament, Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and Germany’s Benjamin Becker, respectively in the first round.
Youzhny, has an 11-9 record in the tournament, posted his best performance in 2002 when he reached the semi-finals.
The other seeds are Jeremy Chardy of France (5th), Viktor Troicki of Serbia (6th), Feliciano Lopez of Spain (7th) and Pablo Andujar of Spain (8th).
Speaking at the draw ceremony president of Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) Nasser bin Ghanim al-Khelaifi said the federation is delighted to continue its co-operation with ExxonMobil Qatar and highlighted the company’s contributions to tennis tournaments organised by QTF.
“Qatar Tennis Federation is proud of the support we have received from ExxonMobil Qatar for 19 consecutive years,” he said. “This is the 21st year of the tournament and this sponsorship enables us to continue to deliver a high quality event for both players and attendees and helps elevate the profile of tennis in Qatar,” he added.
“The Qatar ExxonMobil Open has stood as one of the premier sporting events in Qatar for more than two decades, consistently attracting some of the biggest stars in the world of tennis while shining a spotlight on Doha,” said president and general manager of ExxonMobil Qatar Inc Bart Cahir.
“The tournament’s longevity and ongoing success contribute to Qatar’s recognition and selection as a first-rate host to world-class sporting events. This is a direct reflection of the outstanding team at Qatar Tennis Federation led by Nasser al -Khelaifi, with whom we are extremely proud to partner year after year.”
As always, the tournament will also feature many exciting elements off the court, including the public village, VIP Village, players autograph sessions in the ExxonMobil booth, a traditional souq, a kid’s zone, and various merchandising booths.