Evans sets up Fedex tie in Doha; Sinner survives in Marseille

Britain’s Dan Evans will meet Roger Federer in the Swiss champion’s first match of his comeback after a fighting win over Jeremy Chardy at the Qatar Open.

Federer, who has a bye through to the second round, is playing in his first tournament in Doha since last year’s Australian Open after two knee operations.

He has been training with Evans in Dubai in preparation for his return to the tour and the top-ranked Brit will get the chance to use that inside knowledge in the second round clash.

Evans was playing his first match since an opening-round loss at the Australian Open and had to dig deep to claim a 6-4 1-6 6-2 victory over in-form Frenchman Chardy.

The world No.28 defeated Chardy comfortably on the way to his first ATP Tour title at the Murray River Open in Melbourne last month.

But Chardy arrived in Doha high on confidence after a run to the quarter-finals in Rotterdam last week.

Chardy broke Evans in the first set at the 14th time of asking and with Federer watching from the stands won the second set easily.

But Evans surged into a 3-0 lead in the deciding set and, as Chardy began to struggle physically, he ensured there were no further twists.

Australia’s Christopher O’Connell was eliminated in his first-round match, going down to Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-3 6-4. Pospisil now meets compatriot Denis Shapovalov, ATP-ranked 11th and seeded fourth in Doha.

Later on Tuesday, ATP-ranked 262, Tunisian Malek Jaziri beat Slovak Norbert Gombos, ATP-ranked 95, in one hour and thirty-three minutes.

Jaziri now clashes with Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili, ATP-ranked 42 in the next round.

SINNER ADVANCES IN MARSEILLE: It wasn’t easy, but Jannik Sinner found a way to win on Monday evening in Marseille.

Gregoire Barrere served for their first-round match at 5-4 in the third set, but was unable to close out the fifth seed. Sinner continued fighting and ousted the Frenchman 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 7-5 to reach the second round of the Open 13 Provence after two hours and 52 minutes.

Sinner will next play another #NextGenATP player in home favourite Hugo Gaston. The 20-year-old, who broke through last year when he reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, rallied past Austrian Dennis Novak 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.