Andriej Rubliow

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Relentless Rublev Surges Into San Diego Quarter-Finals

Spoiler:

Top seed to meet sixth seed Schwartzman next

Andrey Rublev’s bid for a second tour-level singles title of the season is off to a flying start at the San Diego Open. The top seed cruised past #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-1 in just 63 minutes to reach the quarter-finals.

The World No. 5 now has 23 match wins for just eight defeats on outdoor hard courts in 2021, which includes an ATP Masters 1000 runner-up showing in Cincinnati, as well as semi-finals in Miami, Dubai and Doha. He won 78 per cent of first-serve points and 80 per cent of points on Nakashima’s second serve.

“I know that Nakashima is a really great player and since the beginning I was thinking I need to be the one to dominate, I need to try to take my forehand and try to dictate… everything was going on my side,” Rublev said. “Game by game I was playing better and better. In the end I managed to win quite confidently.”

Watch Highlights


“Even when I was playing today there were still some moments that were a bit uncomfortable,” Rublev said. “In Boston, indoors, it was a really low bounce and here sometimes the ball jumped really high [today] so I’m still getting used to it, but for my first match I played really well.”

After an unbeaten starring role in Team Europe’s dominant Laver Cup victory in Boston at the weekend, Rublev arrived in form and in the first-time ATP Head2Head meeting between the pair, pressured early to secure the break in the opening game.

San Diego native Nakashima had scored a three-set victory over Fabio Fognini in the first round but this was his first showdown against a Top 20 opponent and the Russian ensured it was a steep learning curve.

A lightning forehand winner down the line secured the double break for 4-1 and Rublev’s only minor blip of the opening set came when serving at 5-2. Staring down his first break points, he fended off both with aces on his way to taking the set in 30 minutes.

It was a worrying case of déjà vu for Nakashima when he was broken in the opening game of the second set but with his back to the wall he conjured his first break as Rublev served for the match at 5-0. The Russian ensured he would not have to serve for it again as he broke to set a quarter-final clash against sixth seed Diego Schwartzman.

You May Also Like: Evans Continues Top 20 Pursuit In San Diego
The Argentine recovered from a set and a break down to deny South African Lloyd Harris on Wednesday night 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Schwartzman withstood nine aces and won 60 per cent of return points on Harris’ second serve.

“I think I was playing a good match but he was serving very well, so I didn’t have any opportunity to break him,” Schwartzman said. “In the second set I was just trying to stay in the match. I had that opportunity to come back and break his serve.

“I know when I break the serve of my opponent I get a lot of confidence and the opponent loses a bit of patience on the court, so at the end you always have to be there waiting for the chance. I did that and I think that’s why I won today.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/rublev- ... -wednesday

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Damian]

[Kamileki]

[Damian]

[Nando]

[Damian]

Karatsev & Rublev Make Strong Start In Indian Wells

Spoiler:

Second seeds Ram/Salisbury battle through Match Tie-break

Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev are playing doubles together for just the third time. But on Friday, the powerful Russians showed why they are a formidable duo.

The unseeded pair defeated Australian Alex de Minaur and American Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. Karatsev and Rublev, this year's Doha champions, are now 5-1 as a duo, and they have not lost a set in any of their victories.

The Russians earned four service breaks and won 44 per cent of their return points against De Minaur and Opelka. They will next play fourth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah or Italian Simone Bolelli and Argentine Maximo Gonzalez.

In other action, second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury clawed past Briton Cameron Norrie and Australian Luke Saville 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. This year's US Open champions had never previously won a match together in Indian Wells.

Singles star Denis Shapovalov and his partner, Indian Rohan Bopanna, also advanced with a 6-1, 2-6, 10-4 victory against reigning Rolex Paris Masters champions Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/karatse ... ay-doubles

[Damian]

[Damian]

From Lucky Loser To Fourth Seed, Rublev Advances In Indian Wells

Spoiler:

Russian next faces Paul
The last time Andrey Rublev competed in Indian Wells, two years ago, he lost in the final round of qualifying before entering the draw as a lucky loser. Now the Russian is the fourth seed, and on Saturday evening he advanced to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.

Rublev battled past Spaniard Carlos Taberner 6-3, 6-4 in the final men's match of the evening to set a third-round match against American Tommy Paul.

"I feel the same [as two years ago]. Of course, I hope I improved a lot and obviously if I'm [No.] 5 in the world, I should [have] improved," Rublev said in his on-court interview. "Hopefully I improved all my skills, all my shots, plus hopefully I'm better physically, mental part and that's why I hope I'm a better player."

FOLLOW THIS WEEK'S ACTION

TV Schedule
Watch Live On Tennis TV
Follow Live Scores On ATP Tour App
It was not an easy match for Rublev, who let slip a break advantage in the second set. But he took advantage of a double fault from World No. 116 Taberner to get back on track and move through without needing to play a deciding set.

Rublev said it took time for him to get used to the conditions, which were slower than they are during the day in the California desert.

"It's super tough to hit a winner and it's a huge difference compared to when you practise even in the afternoon at 4 p.m. or 3 p.m.," Rublev said. "But it's part of our sport. Sometimes you play late matches and this can happen. The way I played today, I really enjoyed and we'll see what's going to happen next."

Rublev's next opponent, Paul, ousted 28th seed Dusan Lajovic 6-2, 6-3. The Russian leads the pair's ATP Head2Head Series, but their past two meetings — both of which came on clay — went to a deciding set.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/rublev- ... 1-saturday

[Razing]

[Kamileki]