Qatar ExxonMobil Open: Federer to Play Evans Wednesday

Doha, March 10 (QNA) - Tennis legend Roger Federer is set to play his first match in the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, after the draw saw him avoid playing in the first round. He will face world no. 28 Danial Evans, who reached the second round today after beating Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 1-6, 6-2. Federer is currently the competition's no. 2 seed in behind World no. 4 Dominic Thiem. Current Qatar ExxonMobil Open Andrey Rublev is the third seed this year. It is worth noting that Federer's ranking has gone down due to an injury that kept him sidelined for more than a year. The player said he has low expectations in terms of his chances to win the competition this year, but was hopeful that he can surprise himself. On Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, he said that he expects it to be a great sporting event. He added that he remembers the day of the announcement well and the surprise at Qatar's win, highlighting that Qatar was up for the challenge based on what he has seen in terms of the infrastructure and stadiums. (QNA)