By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday February 16, 2022
Roberto Bautista Agut blasted past Andy Murray to book a spot in the quarterfinals at Doha.
Photo Source: Getty
Andy Murray used to dominate the head-to-head with Roberto Bautista Agut, but those days are clearly long gone.
The Scot suffered a 6-0, 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the 16th-ranked Spaniard on Wednesday in Dubai, his worst defeat since falling by the same score to Roger Federer at the 2014 ATP Finals.
Bautista Agut converted five of six break points, saved the only break point he faced and cracked 25 winners against just six unforced errors to reach the quarterfinals at Doha, where he is a former champion (2019) and runner-up (2021).
Murray himself is a two-time Doha champion (2008 and 2009) but he showed none of the form that took him to those titles, and an easy victory (6-2, 6-2) over Taro Daniel in the first round. Murray drops to 20-4 lifetime at Doha and 7-5 on the season.
The 34-year-old former World No.1 was only able to win 15 of 41 points on serve against Bautista Agut.
The Spaniard joins Denis Shapovalov in the quarterfinals at Dubai. The Canadian waltzed past Alex Molcan 6-4, 6-0 to set a quarterfinal with France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who topped Alexander Bublik 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-4.
Marin Cilic (d. Van de Zandschulp), Nikoloz Basilashvili (d. E. Ymer), Marton Fucsovics (d. Soonwoo Kwon), Karen Khachanov (d. Ruusuvuori) and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (d. Dan Evans) all moved through on Wednesday.