World number one Novak Djokovic won another gruelling battle in Doha on Thursday to continue his unbeaten start to the year and progress to the Qatar Open semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic took just 55 minutes to claim his first win of 2019, brushing aside Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-2 in the Qatar Open first round on Tuesday.
Simona Halep shrugged off injury concerns to record a straight sets victory over Anastasija Sevastova
Only two seeds remain at the Qatar Open after two more were beaten in the tournament's early matches on Wednesday, leaving six of the event's eight highest-ranked players out with only half of the second round completed.
The Qatar Open second and third seeds -- Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic -- crashed out of the tournament in the first round on Tuesday on a night of shocks in Doha.
Novak Djokovic was made to sweat before struggling to victory 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 against Gilles Simon at Monte Carlo on Tuesday in his first clay court match of the season.
World No 1 Andy Murray claimed his 26th consecutive victory on Wednesday with a battling 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 win over Austria’s Gerald Melzer to reach the Qatar Open quarter-finals.