Gasquet lost the first set to Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko 3-6, but in an exciting comeback rallied to win the following two sets 7-6, 6-3 in front a packed crowd at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
Gasquet’s win makes it the second year in a row that a Frenchman has won the championship, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga taking home the title in 2012.
Qatar Airways was proud to be the Official Airline of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2013, now in its 21st year. The week-long event is held annually and brings top tier men’s tennis players from around the world to Qatar for the season-opening tournament.
Other top-seeded players participating in this year’s event included last year’s semi-finalist, Gael Monfils from France and Spain’s David Ferrer, who is currently ranked 5th in the ATP rankings.
Gasquet, currently ranked number 10 worldwide, holds eight career titles in men’s singles tennis and two in doubles. Gasquet partnered with Julien Benneteau to win Bronze in the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the airline was proud to once again be the Official Airline of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2013.
“On behalf of Qatar Airways, I would like to congratulate Richard Gasquet on his great win here in what was a match I fully enjoyed full of energy and excitement,” said Al Baker.
“It is a wonderful start to his 2013 season, and we wish him the very best for rest of the year. We were very pleased to host all the talented players on the men’s international tennis circuit here in Doha and we look forward to seeing them again next year. Qatar Airways has made sport one of our key pillars and strategy – and are excited to be involved in a number of upcoming sports activities and events.”
One of the world’s fastest growing airlines, Qatar Airways has seen rapid growth in just 15 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 116 aircraft to 123 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and The Americas with the aggressive expansion set to continue during 2013.
Over the next few weeks and months, Qatar Airways will launch flights to a diverse portfolio of new routes, including Gassim, Saudi Arabia (January 7); Najaf, Iraq (January 23); Phnom Penh, Cambodia (February 20); Chengdu, China (March 19); Chicago, USA (April 10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22).
Qatar Airways currently has orders worth over US$50 billion for more than 250 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s and A320 Family of aircraft. In addition to winning Skytrax’s prestigious Airline of the Year 2011 and 2012, Qatar Airways was named Best Airline in the Middle East for the seventh year in a row, and its Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport was named Best Premium Service Airport for the second consecutive year in 2012. Skytrax is the only global independent passenger survey monitoring airline standards and is considered the ultimate benchmark for excellence in the airline industry. In October 2012, Qatar Airways became the first of the major Gulf carriers to officially announce plans to join a global alliance having been invited into the oneworld group. For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com
Qatar Airways Group Corporate Communications Department
Tel: +974 44302072, Fax: +974 44302069
E-mail: qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa
Website: www.qatarairways.com