Andriej Rubliow

[Damian]

5) Top 10 Threats: Former finalists Casper Ruud (2022) and Tsitsipas (2021) hold fond memories of Paris, and both will see Roland Garros as a big opportunity to push for their maiden Grand Slam crown. The same is true of Monte-Carlo champion Andrey Rublev and World No. 9 Taylor Fritz, who has already reached three semi-finals on clay for the year.

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Rublev Roars Past Djere At Roland Garros

Spoiler:

Seventh seed is a two-time quarter-finalist at Roland Garros
Could Roland Garros be where Andrey Rublev makes his breakthrough at a major?

The seventh seed made a good start on Sunday when he defeated Laslo Djere 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round. The 25-year-old hit 37 winners to move on after two hours and 32 minutes.

Rublev appeared in difficulty when Djere moved ahead by a service break in the third set, level at one set apiece. But the 13-time ATP Tour titlist buckled down from there to avoid a second first-round exit at the clay-court major in three years.

His confidence is as high as ever. Earlier this clay swing, Rublev captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo and reached the final at the ATP 250 event in Banja Luka.

Rublev is also comfortable on the Parisian clay, having reached the quarter-finals here twice. He will next play a Frenchman, Corentin Moutet or Arthur Cazaux.

Djere was a tricky opening opponent, as the Serbian won an ATP 500 on clay in 2019 at Rio de Janeiro. But Rublev limited his unforced errors to just 24, which proved critical.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/rublev- ... 023-sunday

[Damian]

[Art]

[no-handed backhand]

[Lucas]

[Lucas]

[Nando]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Andrey Rublev also booked his third-round spot on Wednesday, when the seventh seed held off Corentin Moutet for a 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory. Home favourite Moutet threatened a comeback after taking the third set and notching an early break of his opponent’s serve in the fourth, but Rublev struck back to seal the set and a two-hour, 58-minute victory.

Rublev’s powerful return game was key to key his victory. The 25-year-old converted five of 14 break points he earned to extend his ATP Head2Head series lead against Moutet to 2-0. Rublev, who lifted his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown on clay in Monte-Carlo in April, next plays Lorenzo Sonego in Paris. The Italian downed the highest-ranked Frenchman in the draw, Ugo Humbert, 6-4, 6-3 7-6(3).

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[Barty]

[Damian]

[Damian]

RUBLEV FEELING 'COMPLETELY EMPTY' AFTER SONEGO LOSS

Spoiler:

RUBLEV FEELING 'COMPLETELY EMPTY' AFTER SONEGO LOSS
FRIDAY 2 JUNE 2023 - NICK MCCARVEL
No.7 seed had a two-sets-to-love lead. He now turns his attention to grass.

Andrey Rublev, Roland-Garros 2023, third round
© Nicolas Gouhier/FFT
Failing to convert a two-sets-to-love lead in the third round against Italian Lorenzo Sonego, No.7 seed Andrey Rublev has admitted to feeling “completely empty” after the loss.

“Not much to say I think,” said Rublev, who won his first Masters 1000 title on clay in Monte-Carlo this season. “The way that I was playing today, I deserve to lose. This time I think it will be faster for me [to get over it].”

Ever the open book, Rublev has been outspoken about putting too much pressure on himself, especially at the majors, where he has now reached seven quarter-finals but never gone further.

Rublev misses out, too, on a fourth-round clash with close friend and compatriot Karen Khachanov, whom he’s traded clay-court wins with this season.

Wimbledon awaits
The 25-year-old Rublev has become a Grand Slam threat in the men’s game, but has yet to level up when the moment counts most.

But he now turns his attention to the grass season, which will culminate with Wimbledon in early July. It’s his least successful major, Rublev just 5-3 at the All England Club.

“One positive thing I will have now is the two-and-a-half weeks to prepare well for the grass,” Rublev said. “I still need to improve a lot of things to be able to play more consistent. But also, since Monte-Carlo, I was playing non-stop. We didn't really have much time. We only had one or two weeks of good practices.”

Rublev played 19 clay matches this European spring, beginning with his Monte-Carlo run, where he beat Holger Rune in an enthralling final.

But in a way he was a victim of his own success: A plethora of match-wins meant less practice.

Andrey Rublev & Lorenzo Sonego / 3e tour Roland-Garros 2023
©Nicolas Gouhier / FFT
‘It’s more about my level’
Rublev heralded the “full power” of Sonego, particularly in the fourth and fifth sets, but the No.7 seed – with no men’s major champions left on his side of the draw – sees an opportunity lost.

“I think it's more about my level; it's not good enough now,” he said of the 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 loss. “It's more important for me to go back and improve the level of my game.”

Rublev said he tried to play “more free” in the third set after opening a two-set lead, but he got too loose, making “easy mistakes,” he said.

“I don’t know... I have many, many thoughts,” Rublev said with a sigh. “In the fourth set I think we were equal. Just a few points were not on my side. In the fifth set, he played really well. He started to hit full power. He started to play really well but still I had some opportunities.”

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[Lucas]

[Lucas]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Following Sinner and Gasquet onto OWL Arena were Andrey Rublev and Wu Yibing. The third-seeded Rublev was made to battle to join his fellow Top 10 star Sinner in the second round but ultimately prevailed 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2.

Rublev earned his best result on grass by reaching the championship match in Halle in 2021, and the 25-year-old showed how effective his powerful groundstrokes can be on the surface as he pulled Wu around the court to great effect. Rublev converted five of the 11 break points he earned as he refused to allow Wu to settle on serve.

The Chinese World No. 59 Wu, playing just his second pro tournament on grass after he reached the second round in Stuttgart last week, raised his level to claim the second-set tie-break but could not maintain his momentum as Rublev clinched a two-hour, 13-minute victory.

Rublev’s second-round opponent will be Yannick Hanfmann, who earlier prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a battle of home favourites with Louis Wessels.

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Rublev Takes Hanfmann Revenge With Halle Win

Spoiler:

Third seed to take on Hurkacz or Griekspoor in quarter-finals
Is Andrey Rublev rustling up another deep run at the Terra Wortmann Open? The 2021 finalist booked his spot in the last eight at the grass-court ATP 500 event on Thursday with a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory against Yannick Hanfmann.

Rublev delivered a solid display to hold off the World No. 53 Hanfmann and improve his record in Halle to 8-3. Home favourite Hanfmann had led 5/3 in the first-set tie-break but was unable to push on and forge a repeat of his victory in the pair’s fourth-round meeting last month at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome.

“The important thing was I was able to win against a tough player like Yannick,” said Rublev. “The last time he beat me and he’s playing better and better. Especially on grass, he’s even tougher to play against because he has such a good serve and a good game at the net. I was able to win the match in two sets so I’m really happy.”


After winning five of the final six points to claim the first-set tie-break, Rublev carried the momentum into the second second, in which he established an ultimately unassailable 4-0 lead. With the OWL Arena roof closed during the second set to shelter the court from the torrential Halle rain, Rublev pushed on to a one-hour, 39-minute triumph in which he converted three of his six break points.

The World No. 7 will now prepare for his sixth tour-level quarter-final of the season against defending champion Hubert Hurkacz or last week’s ‘s-Hertogenbosch winner Tallon Griekspoor. The 25-year-old Rublev is a 13-time ATP Tour titlist and is chasing his maiden crown on grass this week in Germany.

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