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3 Jan’ 2019

Superstar Djokovic, fighter Wawrinka reach quarter-finals in style

Doha, January 03, 2019-World number one Novak Djokovic on Wednesday stopped Hungarian giant Marton Fucsovics in three sets to reach the quarterfinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Djokovic, a two-time champion in Doha, produced a fighting 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win in exactly two hours on the Centre Court. It was Djokovic's second win over Fucsovics.

Djokovic, the top seed in Doha, said Fucsovics fought well in the second round clash on Wednesday. "That's how he plays. He was a better player for most of the two sets. He was playing smart. He was great on the backline. He was changing the pace of the ball and moving me around. All the credit to him for a great match and I really wish him all the best in Australia," Djokovic said. It was Djokovic's second win over Fucsovics in as many matches on the Tour.

Also on Wednesday unseeded Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland beat Nicolas Jarry of Chile in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals. Wawrinka won 6-4, 7-6 in the day's opening clash on Centre. Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, played a controlled game from the baseline to seal his win 88 minutes against 23-year-old Jarry. It was Wawrinka's second successive win in Doha after the Swiss beat third seed Karen Khachanov of Russia in the first round.

Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili, 26,stunned Andrey Rublev of Russia 6-3, 6-4 in the third match on Centre Court. Basilashvili fired 8 aces as he wrapped up the match in just 61 minutes of aggressive tennis. It was the first meeting between the two young players. Rublev, 21, was the losing finalist in Doha last year.

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Qatar’s Younousse and Tijan Sweep into Doha 2026 Tour Quarterfinals

DOHA – Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan underlined their title ambitions with a dominant group-stage display to advance to the quarterfinals of the Doha 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Tour.Competing at the International Beach Volleyball Center of Excellence in Al Gharafa, the Qatari duo swept all three Group A matches in straight sets to secure top spot and progress to the knockout stage in emphatic fashion.They launched their campaign on Saturday with a 21-15, 21-19 victory over Thailand’s Nalphadon and Puravich before producing two commanding performances today. They defeated China’s Li Wei and Yuan Ningfei 21-9, 21-15 and followed up with a comprehensive 21-13, 21-9 win against Indonesia’s Firza and Rizki.The results completed a perfect group-stage record for the Qatari pair, who did not drop a set and emerged as strong contenders for the tournament title. Arrow
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Qatar Teams Make Promising Start at Doha 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Tour

DOHA – Qatar’s national teams began their campaign at the Doha 2026 Asian Beach Volleyball Tour with 14 matches played on the opening day at the International Beach Volleyball Excellence Centre in Al Gharafa.The competition will continue Sunday with 20 group-stage matches, including 16 men’s matches and four women’s matches.Qatar 1 and Qatar 2 made winning starts in the men’s competition, while Qatar 3 suffered a narrow defeat against their Australian opponents.Qatar 1, represented by Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, opened their campaign with a straight-sets victory over Thailand’s Nopphadon and Puravich, winning 21-15 and 21-19 in Pool A.The victory marked an ideal start for the Qatari duo in their first appearance since winning gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, where they made history by securing their third consecutive Asian Games gold medal, following their triumphs at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.Qatar 2, comprising Mousa Al-Khair and Mohammed Ehab, also began on a winning note, defeating Saudi Arabia’s Wafi Al-Jasser and Ali Al-Awami 21-6 and 21-11 in straight sets in Pool C. Al-Khair and Ehab had previously claimed silver at the third West Asia Beach Volleyball Tour event in Doha.Meanwhile, Qatar 3, represented by Saifeddine Al-Majid and Mahmoud Essam, went down 2-1 to Australia’s Howat and Bennett. The Qatari pair took the opening set 21-19 before their Australian opponents fought back to win the second 21-15 and the deciding set 15-11.In other men’s matches, Lebanon’s Hadi Al-Shabib and Jad Abi Karam defeated Japan’s Takahashi and Ikeda 21-18, 21-18 in straight sets in Pool B.Thailand’s Nittithorn and Watcharawut overcame Indonesia’s Imam and Firouz 21-12, 23-21, while Australia’s Merritt and Walker beat China’s Li Xiaokai and Sun Xinglong 21-18, 21-10.Australia’s Bushby and Schumann also secured a straight-sets victory over China’s Dong Shaoquan and Hong Weiqiang, winning 21-18 and 21-15. China’s Li Wei and Yuan Ningfei recorded an identical scoreline against Indonesia’s Firza and Rizki.In the women’s competition, Qatar 2, represented by Shaghaf Ismail and Malak Hashem, lost 2-0 to Japan’s Rin and Non in Pool B, with set scores of 21-4 and 21-5.Qatar 3, comprising Aisha Al-Alawi and Nelly Amr, also suffered a straight-sets defeat, losing 21-7 and 21-5 to Thailand’s Narawornrabat and Worapiratchayakorn in Pool C. Arrow
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Qatar win silver and bronze medals at 2026 West Asia Beach Volleyball Tour

Doha: Qatar’s men’s “1” team won the silver medal, while the women’s “1” team claimed a historic first bronze medal as the third round of the 2026 West Asia Beach Volleyball Tour concluded at the Al Gharafa International Beach Courts.Qatar’s men’s “1” team, comprising Mousa Al-Khair and Mohammed Ihab, finished runners-up after losing 2–0 (24–22, 21–19) to Bahrain “1” in the final.The Qatari pair had reached the final with a 2–0 (21–13, 24–22) victory over Lebanon “1” in the semi-finals.In the women’s competition, Qatar “1”, represented by Haya Abu Issa and Leila Mohammed, secured bronze with a 2–1 (13–21, 21–19, 15–12) win over Bahrain in the third-place play-off.The Qatari team had lost 2–0 to Lebanon “1” in the semi-finals. Lebanon “1” went on to claim the title, defeating compatriots Lebanon “2” by two sets to one in the final.The round featured 15 teams from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Lebanon, with strong competition across both the men’s and women’s events.Qatar had a strong presence in the women’s competition, fielding four teams. Haya Abu Issa and Leila Mohammed represented Qatar “1”, while Shaghaf Ismail and Malak Hashem competed for Qatar “2”. Arrow
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Doha to Host Asian Open Beach Volleyball Tour

Doha: Doha will host the Asian Open Beach Volleyball Tour- Doha 2026 from October 10 to 13, featuring 16 men's and 11 women's teams representing Australia, China, Japan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Indonesia and Qatar.Qatar's participation is highlighted by top-ranked men's pair Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, who lead the standings with 4,660 points.The duo are coming off a gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan, marking their third consecutive Asian Games title after previous victories in Jakarta-Palembang 2018 and Hangzhou 2022.They also won gold at the Sanya 2026 Asian Beach Games in China last April and were named Asia's Best Men's Beach Volleyball Players for the 2025–2026 season.Qatar will field three teams in both the men's and women's competitions.Alongside Younousse and Tijan, the men's teams include Mousa Al Khair and Mohamed Ehab, and Saif Al Deen Al Majid and Mahmoud Essam.In the women's event, Qatar will be represented by Haya Abu Essa and Laila Mohamed, Shaghaf Ismail and Malak Hashem, and Aisha Al Alawi and Nelly Amr.The official proceedings begin on Friday with team registration and the announcement of the match schedule. Competition gets underway Saturday with the group stage, followed by the remaining group matches and Round of 16 on Sunday.The quarterfinals and semifinals will be held Monday, with the men's and women's finals scheduled for Tuesday, October 13. Arrow

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