ATP Doha: Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych and Nikoloz Basilashvili advance
Nikoloz dominated with his first serve and despite two breaks he suffered the scoreboard was on his side almost all the time, creating four break chances and converting them all to bring the match home in style.
Nikoloz held at love in the opening game and we saw five breaks in the next six games, three for Georgian who moved 5-1 up when Andrey sprayed a backhand error that cost him the service game for the third straight time. Rublev saved one set point on the return in the following game and he pulled one break back to reduce the deficit before Basilashvili grabbed the set with a good hold in game nine for a 6-3 after 30 minutes.
The Georgian blasted an ace to save a break point in the second game of the second set and he earned a break in game five to forge the crucial lead, serving well in the rest of the match and delivering three service winners in game 10 to enter the last eight.
Returning from a left knee injury that required surgeries, the three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka won just 17 matches in 2018 and he is already looking much better at the start of the new season, beating Karen Khachanov and Nicolas Jarry for the place in the quarter-final in his first Doha appearance since 2007! Jarry gave his best to follow that pace in his service games but he suffered one break from six opportunities he offered to the Swiss, taking just seven points less than Stan but still hitting the exit door in straight sets.
Wawrinka found the range right from the start, sailing through his service games and forcing a backhand error from Jarry to move 3-2 ahead. Serving to stay in the set at 3-5, Nicolas saved a set point with a volley winner but Stan secured another good hold in the 10th game for a 6-4 after 34 minutes.
The Chilean repelled two break points in the seventh game of the second set to reach the tie break but Wawrinka was the more focused player there, scoring three mini-breaks and wrapping up the win with an ace in the 10th point to book the place in the last eight.
Playing against each other for the 15th time but the first since 2012, Tomas faced just five break points, losing serve three times but managing to overcome that with a solid display on the return, creating 14 chances and converting four to cross the finish line first.
Verdasco led 5-4 in the decider but Berdych stayed focused, delivering two easy holds and taking advantage of a loose service game from the Spaniard at 5-5 to create the pivotal advantage and celebrate the win in the following game.
<table
