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Rublev is through to his first ATP World Tour quarter-final after prevailing in a battle of youth against experience with fellow Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-0, 3-6, 6-3. The 19 year old previously won his opening round this year at the Australian Open and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami. Rublev sits at a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 106, but is projected to move inside the Top 100 when the newest standings are released on Monday.

Russian teen to face Italian veteran in final
#NextGenATP Russian Andrey Rublev showed great maturity in reaching his first ATP World Tour final on Saturday at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. He will now meet fourth seed Paolo Lorenzi.
World No. 74 Rublev knocked out wild card Ivan Dodig 7-6(4), 6-1 in one hour and 41 minutes to become the second teenager (after then 19-year-old Alexander Zverev at the Open Sud de France in February) to reach a tour-level final this year.
"I'm happy that I'm in my first final," Rublev said. "The key was staying strong mentally. I feel that both of us weren't feeling really well on the court and the conditions were tough. It was more mental."
The Moscow native is into the final as a Lucky Loser, having fallen to Hungary's Attila Balazs in straight sets on Monday. He is the first Lucky Loser to reach an ATP World Tour final since Marcel Granollers in Valencia 2010 (l. to Ferrer) and is bidding to become the first to win a title since Rajeev Ram in Newport 2009.
Rublev took a 5-3 lead in the first set, but could not convert a set point opportunity on Dodig’s serve at Ad-Out, when he led 5-4. The 19 year old was then broken in the next game, but regrouped to win the tie-break and broke a further two times – at 2-1 and 4-1 – in the second set.
The Russian teenager will face 35-year-old Italian veteran Lorenzi on Sunday after the Rome native defeated countryman Alessandro Giannessi 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. It will be their first FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter.
Lorenzi, who has a 1-2 record in ATP World Tour trophy matches, needed two hours and 36 minutes to defeat Giannessi. He squandered a 4-2 lead in the second set, as Giannessi reeled off six of seven games to force a decider, where he grabbed an early break. But Lorenzi would right the ship, breaking right back for 2-all, before eventually surging past the finish line with a service winner.
"I'm really happy to be in the final in Umag," said Lorenzi. "It was a really tough match because I know Alessandro really well and we're good friends. It was a battle, but I hope to recover and be ready for tomorrow."
World No. 34 Lorenzi will contest his first ATP World Tour final since February, when he fell to Victor Estrella Burgos in the Quito final. He is bidding to secure a second title, having prevailed on the clay of Kitzbühel exactly one year ago. The Italian is also looking to join Ryan Harrison and Yuichi Sugita as winners on both the ATP World Tour and ATP Challenger Tour this year. He lifted the trophy on home soil in Caltanissetta last month.
Lorenzi is looking to become the second straight Italian winner in Umag, following in the footsteps of reigning champion Fabio Fognini. Rublev, meanwhile, is hoping to join Nikolay Davydenko (2009) as Russian titlists in the Croatian beach resort town.

Russian wins maiden ATP crown in Umag

Andrey Rublev captured his first ATP World Tour title on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Paolo Lorenzi in the final of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. The Russian is the fourth #NextGenATP player to win an ATP World Tour title, joining Alexander Zverev, Karen Khachanov and Borna Coric. The 19 year old is now up to third in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan and cracked the Top 50 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
Afterwards, Rublev spoke to ATPWorldTour.com:
How does it feel to be holding your first ATP World Tour singles trophy at the age of 19?
Of course, it’s amazing. I have no words to explain it. Especially after this tough week and all the feelings that I have been going through. Now, I’m here and it’s amazing. But now, it’s already passed and in two days I have a new match and I have to be ready 100 per cent.
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Was this a goal of yours as a junior, to win an ATP title? How did you envision this?
Of course when I was a kid, I wanted to win Grand Slams, ATP tournaments, all the tournaments that I was watching on the TV. I was watching, and I was dreaming that one day I’m going to also win these tournaments; I’m going to play all these matches. And now I’ve won my first ATP title and it’s amazing. Now it’s time to work, and to try to do it again.
What was your approach going into your first final, how did you prepare for your match?
This week I was trying to do everything the same, always sitting in the car in the front, I didn’t let anybody sit in the front, only me. My coach was wearing the same t-shirt, my t-shirt, for the past three days. During the day, I would always go back to my hotel room. So yeah, all these little things I was trying to do the same. The last three days were really tough mentally. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t talk normally. There was so much stress, it was really tough. I’m really happy that it’s over and I won the tournament.
You replaced Borna in the draw as a lucky loser, are you going to call him or text him?
I already said to him many times “thank you”, but it’s also tough because in one way I’m really happy that I’m in the draw, but in another way I really feel bad for him because he’s a great player and he also had a really good chance to win this tournament. He had that injury, and I really feel sad for him because I know how sometimes it’s tough to make these decisions. I just really hope that he can come back as soon as possible, and to win another tournament.
Talk about your 2017 season and the success you’re having.
I don’t really think about these things. I’m just trying to do my job, trying to give my best every day. Trying to be more stable, trying to improve the things that I need to work on. These are the things I’m most focused on. I’m not trying to think about if I am having a good season or a bad season, because as you can see with this week for example: I lost in the qualies, which should have been bad for me. And now I’ve won this tournament and everything is perfect. It’s not really good to think about if it’s a good season or a bad season, because everything can change so fast. You can win one day, and lose the next day. You can lose and you can win. The main thing for me is to do my best every day.
What are your goals for the rest of the season?
I have no goals. I just want to do my best, to improve on the things I need to improve on, and that’s it. We’ll see what happens.
What do you feel like you have improved on this season?
Firstly we were really working hard on my physique, to allow me to play much longer at the same level and at the same intensity. I think I’ve improved a little physically, and now I can play a little bit longer. But still there is a long way to go. Before, I used to play without sense and just hit the ball. Now I’ve started to understand, more or less where you have to play, where are the better positions. Those things are really important in tennis.
Talk about the success of the NextGenATP Russians this season.
It’s something amazing. I’ve known Medvedev since we were maybe six or seven years old, Karen maybe since I was eight or nine years old. We were always playing the same tournaments and on the same team. They were a little bit older than me, in the juniors in Russia they were always a little higher ranked than me, and I always was the third one on the team. So we were always together, and it’s amazing. And now all three of us are in the Top 50 and we’ll see how things will turn out.
Who are the players you looked up to and admired growing up?
There were three players that I really liked. I really like Federer of course, everybody likes him. When I was a kid I was a big fan of Safin. And then I saw Rafa [Nadal] play for the first time, I started to copy him. I was buying the same clothes. I was 11 and my t-shirt was double my size! I was wearing the sleeveless t-shirts and the long pants and I had the whole collection of his clothes.
Who has helped you throughout your career and helped you to get where you are today?
Of course my family, they always were the ones supporting me, giving everything they have to me. I was like the special one. And of course now the team that I have in Barcelona, they are working really hard with me there. They are doing more than their best, always pushing me. Fernando [Vicente] and Galo [Blanco] are like opposites: Galo is like the bad cop and Fernando is the good cop. With Fernando it’s always easier to find a deal, with Galo it is not!

Dream week for lucky loser Rublev
#NextGenATP Russian Andrey Rublev captured his first ATP World Tour title on Sunday as he defeated fourth seed Paolo Lorenzi 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
“It’s amazing. I have no words to explain it, especially after this tough week,” said Rublev. “Now I’m here and it’s amazing.”
It caps a dream week for the 19-year-old Rublev, who had beaten third seed and defending champion Fabio Fognini in the quarter-finals and home hope Ivan Dodig in the last four to reach his first ATP World Tour final. The Moscow native had fallen in the final round of qualifying, but earned a spot in the main draw as a lucky loser when Borna Coric was forced to withdraw.
Rublev is the seventh lucky loser to win an ATP World Tour title and the first to do so since Rajeev Ram triumphed in Newport in 2009. The right-hander earns 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points, which will take him to a new career-high on Monday.
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World No. 74 Rublev has been rapidly on the rise in recent weeks, reaching his first ATP World Tour quarter-final on grass in Halle (l. to Khachanov) and making the second round as a qualifier at Wimbledon (l. to Ramos-Vinolas). Just four months ago, Rublev was placed at No. 130 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
The Russian is set to break into the Top 3 in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, which determines who will qualify for the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan from 7-11 November. Alexander Zverev currently leads the race, followed by Karen Khachanov.
Facing Lorenzi, 16 years his senior, for the first time, Rublev controlled the match from the start, breaking twice as he raced to a 4-1 lead. Lorenzi recouped one of the breaks, but Rublev went on to seal the opener. From 1-2 in the second set, the Russian reeled off the last five games to prevail in 76 minutes.
The No. 34-ranked Lorenzi was bidding to win his second ATP World Tour crown, following victory in Kitzbuhel last year. The Italian also missed out in the Quito final earlier this year, finishing runner-up to Victor Estrella Burgos. He has a 1-3 finals record.
“[Andrey] played remarkable throughout the week and again today,” said Lorenzi. “I wasn’t able to vary my game as much as I wanted [to] because I played slower. The match yesterday took away a lot of energy as it was very hot and humid.”

Superstitious Umag champion looks to keep improving
Twenty years ago, there was only one Russian in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings – Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who went onto become World No. 1 almost 20 months later in May 2000. The country went onto produce leading lights, such as another No. 1 Marat Safin, Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny, who continues to play in 2017 – his 19th season as a pro.
Today, a new batch of hungry young players inspired by their forebears are beginning to establish themselves on the ATP World Tour – namely 21-year-old Karen Khachanov, 21-year-old Daniil Medvedev and 19-year-old Andrey Rublev. Each is bidding to qualify for the inaugural 21-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held from 7-11 November in Milan. Buy Tickets
After a slow start to the year, World No. 30 Khachanov is starting to make inroads by replicating the form that took him to the Chengdu Open title in October 2016; No. 50-ranked Medvedev has been remarkably consistent since advancing to the Aircel Chennai Open final in January, while Rublev at No. 51, recently picked up his first ATP World Tour crown at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.
Rublev has matured significantly, since being the world’s No. 1 ranked junior in 2014. Under the guidance of Spaniards Fernando Vicente and Galo Blanco, Rublev is becoming fitter, sharper and focused on improving each and every day.
“Firstly we were really working hard on my physique, to allow me to play much longer at the same level and at the same intensity,” Rublev told ATPWorldTour.com. “I think I’ve improved a little physically, and now I can play a little bit longer. But still there is a long way to go. Before, I used to play without sense and just hit the ball. Now I’ve started to understand, more or less where you have to play, where are the better positions.”
In replacing Borna Coric in Umag last month, Rublev made the most of his lucky loser status by beating Carlos Berlocq, Andrej Martin, Fabio Fognini, Ivan Dodig and Paolo Lorenzi en route to his first tour-level title. Read Report
“I was trying to do everything the same, always sitting in the car in the front, I didn’t let anybody sit in the front, only me,” Rublev told ATPWorldTour.com. “My coach was wearing the same tee-shirt, my tee-shirt, for the past three days. During the day, I would always go back to my hotel room. So yeah, all these little things I was trying to do the same. The last three days were really tough mentally. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t talk normally. There was so much stress, it was really tough. I’m really happy that it’s over and I won the tournament.”
As Rafael Nadal, a player Rublev began to idolise as an eight year old, copying the superstar’s game and look, hones in on a return to No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, the Russian teenager would be wise to follow the superstar’s work ethic, dedication and commitment.

#NextGenATP Russian scores first Top 10 win
The #NextGenATP stars of the ATP World Tour are on a tear this week at the US Open, making Flushing Meadows their playground with a trio storming into the third round.
Andrey Rublev joined Borna Coric and Denis Shapovalov with a stunning 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-3 upset of Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday afternoon. Rublev demonstrated the poise of a veteran on Louis Armstrong Stadium, crushing his forehand with fearless aplomb. He fired 36 winners, including 23 on that wing, while saving eight of 10 break points faced.
Seventh seed Dimitrov was not as sharp as he was in streaking to the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati two weeks ago, and Rublev took full advantage. It was the Russian's first Top 10 win, marking the third time a #NextGenATP player has beaten a Top 8 seed this week in New York. On Wednesday, Coric upset fourth seed Alexander Zverev and Shapovalov shocked eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
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Rublev's victory also marks the first time multiple teenagers are into the US Open third round in nearly a decade, since Marin Cilic, Juan Martin del Potro and Kei Nishikori advanced as far in 2008. He is making strides in solidifying his place among the eight players who will feature at the Next Gen ATP Finals from 7-11 November in Milan. He is currently fifth in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan.
For Rublev, the straight-sets scoreline does not tell the entire story. It was a battle from first ball, with Dimitrov streaking to a 4-1 lead in both the first and second sets, before Rublev stormed back. After breaking the Bulgarian serving for the opener at 5-3, he broke again and closed it out on his fourth set point. His defensive prowess was on full display as he replicated the result in the second set, and claimed an early break in the third before holding to the finish line.
A lunging forehand winner closed out the win after two hours and 27 minutes. Rublev will next face Damir Dzumhur in an unseeded battle on Saturday. A coveted spot in a first Grand Slam fourth round will be on the line. It will be their second FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter, with Rublev having prevailed on the clay of Istanbul in 2015.
Dzumhur rallied past Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-1, concluding his impressive month of August with a 14-3 record. Runner-up at both the ATP Challenger Tour event in Santo Domingo and ATP World Tour 250 in Winston-Salem, the Bosnian is closing in on a career-high in the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.