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Querrey's hopes dashes of sixth win in Paris

Sam Querrey opened up big leads in each of the first three sets, only to see in-form Andrey Rublev recover from 0-2 sets down for the first time in his career on Tuesday at Roland Garros.

For the majority of the first two hours, Querrey proved how he could thrive in the cold and damp conditions of Paris by keeping points short with big serves and solid groundstrokes, but Rublev worked his way back to complete a dramatic 6-7(5), 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 victory over three hours and 17 minutes on Court Simonne-Mathieu, the third show court.

It was a certainly dramatic way for No. 13 seed Rublev to secure his first win at the clay-court major, which extended his ATP Head2Head record to 3-1 against Querrey. The Russian, who captured his third ATP Tour title of 2020 on Sunday at the Hamburg European Open (d. Tsitsipas), is now 26-6 on the season. He will now prepare to face Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who knocked out French wild card Harold Mayot 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5.

Querrey raced off to a 3-0 start, before World No. 12 Rublev started a comeback, saving set points at 3-5, 30/40 and 5-6, 30/40. Rublev admirably forced a tie-break, but Querrey held firm to clinch the 48-minute opener.

Querrey led 4-0 after just 11 minutes of the second set, before Rublev held to 15 and worked his way into their fourth meeting. The Russian then won 13 straight points from 1-5 down to put Querrey under pressure. By breaking back to 5-5, Rublev looked to be in the ascendancy, but Querrey’s booming serve returned in the nick of time. The World No. 48 saved two set points at 5-6, Ad-Out, and completed a close tie-break with an ace — one of 29 he struck in the match.

After a five-minute delay due to rain, the first-round encounter appeared to further unravel for Rublev, when he was broken in the fourth game of the third set. But once again, Querrey’s serve went off the boil and Rublev won five consecutive games from 2-5. The set ended when Querrey hit a backhand return long.

Rublev, who had never before recovered from 0-2 sets down, broke in the third game of the fourth set. He closed out to love with an ace, having lost just four of his service points, then broke early in the decider to grow in confidence. The 22-year-old completed a memorable victory by scrambling up a drop shot and flicking a forehand crosscourt for a winner as Querrey stranded at the net. Rublev sank to his knees in celebration

Querrey, who hit 80 winners and committed 62 unforced errors, had been hoping to become the eighth American into the Roland Garros second round. With five wins in 13 visits to south-west Paris, the 32-year-old’s best run was reaching the 2013 third round (l. to Simon in five sets).

Rublev had won their two previous meetings, including a 6-3, 6-3 victory en route to the Adelaide International crown in January. He also won the Qatar ExxonMobil Open trophy (d. Moutet) in the first week of the 2020 season.

Rublev to face former World No. 5 Anderson

Andrey Rublev, enjoying a career-best 2020 season that includes three ATP Tour titles, recorded his 27th victory in 33 matches on Wednesday for a place in the Roland Garros third round.

The 22-year-old, who is appearing at the clay-court major for the second time (also 2017), overcame a slow start and a third-set blip to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 7-5, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in two hours and 11 minutes.

Rublev, a titlist this year at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Moutet), the Adelaide International (d. Harris) and at last week’s Hamburg European Open (d. Tsitsipas), will next face South African Kevin Anderson, who hit 18 aces among 58 winners to knock out No. 22 seed Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 over three hours and nine minutes.

Such is the confidence of Rublev right now, that even when he fell 2-4 behind in the first set on Court Simonne-Mathieu, the in-form Russian didn’t panic. He won 12 of the next 14 games as Davidovich Fokina’s challenge appeared to evaporate.

Once Rublev failed to convert two break points at 1-1 in the third set, Davidovich Fokina became more aggressive, was quicker on his feet and became a different proposition. Out of nowhere, the Spaniard broke for a 3-1 advantage after Rublev struck a backhand wide. The pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting sparked into life.

Rublev became irritable as Davidovich Fokina clinched the 35-minute third set and broke, courtesy of a backhand error, in the first game of the fourth set. But the World No. 12 immediately broke back by winning a 21-stroke rally for 1-1 and didn’t look back in the 21-minute set. Rublev hit three aces in the final game.

Elsewhere, Marton Fucsovics edged past Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(2), 6-3, 7-5 in three hours and two minutes for a third-round clash against Thiago Monteiro, who was a 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-1 victor over Marcos Giron in just over two hours.

Russian to face Fucsovics on Monday

Andrey Rublev extended his winning streak to eight matches on Saturday when he powered past former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson for a place in the Roland Garros fourth round.

Rublev, the No. 13 seed, who captured his third ATP Tour title of the year at the Hamburg European Open (d. Tsitsipas) last week, gave Anderson no opportunity to work his way into their second ATP Head2Head meeting, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 34 minutes on Court Simonne-Mathieu.

Rublev, who has a 28-6 match record on the season that also includes trophies at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Moutet) and the Adelaide International (d. Harris), will now challenge Hungary's Marton Fucsovics, who hit 25 winners to knock out Thiago Monteiro of Brazil 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 in two hours and 21 minutes.

The 22-year-old Rublev never let Anderson settle, breaking in the South African’s first service games of the first and second sets. Rublev, dictating every rally beyond four shots, particularly with his powerful forehand, broke twice in the decider – at 2-2, when Anderson struck and double fault, then at 3-5, when the Russian struck a forehand return winner.

Rublev was incredibly efficient on serve, losing just four first-service points and eight off his second delivery. Anderson, who’d been bidding to reach the Last 16 in Paris for a fifth time, hit 13 aces and committed 33 unforced errors.

Fucsovics
Photo courtesy: Peter Staples/ATP Tour

Looking forward to playing Rublev, Fucsovics said, "When we played, I won in five sets, but we were different players. Right now he's just about to break in the Top 10. But it was four or five years ago when we played. I am more mature. I have more experience. I'm fit now, fitter than ever. I'm looking forward to play a good match against him [and] try to break through finally to the quarter-finals."

The 28-year-old Fucsovics became the first Hungarian man to reach the Roland Garros fourth round since Balazs Taroczy in 1984. Fucsovics beat fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in the first round and followed it up with a second-round victory over Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

He won 20 of his 22 net points against Monteiro and later admitted, “I'm playing some of my best tennis this year. I've [been] in the Top 100 for three years, three-and-a-half years. I'm very happy to compete against these guys. Finally, I can show that I can beat them. I can beat the Top 10 players, I can beat the next superstars of tennis. This gives me a lot of confidence. Now I believe that I can also make it to the Top 10.”

Russian will next face Tsitsipas

Andrey Rublev completed another memorable comeback on Monday to reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the first time.

The World No. 12 trailed Marton Fucsovics 6-7(4), 2-5 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, but raised his game to charge back and earn a 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory in just under four hours. Rublev, who saved three consecutive set points to avoid a fifth set, extends his winning streak to nine matches and is now 29-6 this year.

“I think I was a little bit lucky,” said Rublev on court. “He was a set and 5-2 up, 5-3 serving for the second set. Then he was up a break in the third set… It was really tough.”

This is the second time Rublev has made a major recovery at this tournament. The Moscow native, who entered the event with a 0-1 tournament record, rallied from two sets down for the first time in his career to beat Sam Querrey in the first round.

Rublev is through to his second straight Grand Slam quarter-final, following his run to the last eight at the US Open in September. The Russian is enjoying the best season of his career in 2020, highlighted by title runs in Doha, Adelaide and Hamburg.

“I feel great with my performances for the past couple of weeks, in general with my season. I'm really grateful… It's a nice feeling to be able to win that many matches in a row,” said Rublev.

Infosys Rublev Fucsovics

Visit the Infosys Match Centre at RolandGarros.com

Rublev will face Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in the semi-finals. The 22-year-old leads Tsitsipas 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, which includes a three-set win in the Hamburg final eight days ago.

Fucsovics was aiming to become the first Hungarian man to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in 39 years. The 28-year-old earned his first Top 5 victory against Daniil Medvedev in the first round and also beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Thiago Monteiro en route to his third Grand Slam Round of 16 appearance.

Fucsovics varied the pace on his backhand to open the match with a break. Despite failing to close the set on serve at 5-4, the Hungarian found a winning strategy in the tie-break. Fucsovics earned a one-set lead with a series of powerful forehands and showed great touch to finish points at the net.

The 2018 Geneva champion continued to display his impressive net skills and fired multiple forehand winners to increase his advantage early in the second set. But Rublev recovered from 2-5 down to win five straight games and level the match. The Russian consistently attacked Fucsovics’ backhand to turn the set in his favour and closed the set with an angled crosscourt backhand.

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Rublev was also forced to recover from a break down in the third set. From 1-3 down, the Russian capitalised on forehand errors and attacked the backhand to earn three consecutive breaks. Rublev moved one set from victory with an ace down the T.

The key moment of the fourth set came when Rublev saved three consecutive set points at 4-5, 0/40. Fucsovics hit two backhand errors and Rublev finished at the net, before holding serve to reach 5-5. In the tie-break, Rublev played with aggression on his forehand and moved up the court to shorten points. The Hamburg champion converted his second match point with a forehand drive volley.

“I expected a match exactly like this,” said Rublev. “I didn’t know who was going to win, but I expected it was going to be a really tough match for me to win… I am really happy that, in the end, I won today.”

Fernando Vicente, the Russian’s coach, analyses his pupil’s struggles on court

“Don’t you see? You always fight, but you don’t see what’s happening in front of you. You’re focussing on your fears, lost in your own thoughts. Things pass you by quicker than what’s happening at that moment. You overdo it.”

Andrey Rublev will be playing in his first Roland Garros quarter-final on Wednesday against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Fernando Vicente, his coach, believes there are many things that still need improving. He has told the Russian just that with his characteristic sincerity.


In a conversation with ATPTour.com, the Spanish coach remembered how Rublev was very close to being knocked out in his opener, and went into the reasons his understudy has suffered more than he should on court.

“People tell me he’s playing incredibly, that it’s very good, but they don’t remember that in the first round he lost the first two sets and he was at 2-5," Vicente said of Rublev’s five-set win against Sam Querrey. “His behaviour was not the most professional and he was close to being knocked out. The reality is that he is still at Roland Garros because Querrey didn’t finish [the match]. In any other tournament, he would have lost the match and would be at home.

“The head is not on a par with the player right now… In the last 16 against [Marton] Fucsovics, he was also a set down and 1-4 in the second, on the verge of losing it. He believed inside that he had to win. Obviously he has a lot of respect for the opponent, but because of that mental block he couldn’t move as he should. He was serving badly, not hitting his shots well.

“He was overwhelmed. He even made the mistake of taking Fucsovics’ towel four times. He wasn’t in tune with what was happening… I’m here to see what is wrong and to try and improve it. People can tell me that he’s [near] the Top 10 and playing very well, yes, but if he’s among those 10 best it’s because he wants to win big things. Yes, as simple as that. And he knows it. There are things that need improving.”



That mental work falls almost entirely to Vicente, who so far has not wanted to turn to a psychologist, preferring to be the one taking the reins himself.

“For the moment, I haven’t used anyone’s help because otherwise the team would be too big,” Vicente said. “They’re basic things. For a psychologist to tell him something that he already knows... I don’t want to spend hours somewhere else. We talk all day, we have a lot of confidence and he knows when he makes a mistake. He’s aware of what happened the other day, for example; due to his behaviour, because of his nervousness [and] wanting to win no matter what, he went about the match in the wrong way. There are times he doesn’t play to win, he plays not to lose.”


A few weeks ago, Rublev reached the quarter-finals of the US Open, bowing out to countryman Daniil Medvedev. Now, shortly afterwards, the Russian has reached the same round at Roland Garros. The problem, however, is a battle against his own expectations of himself, which prevent him from competing completely freely.

“He is so keen to do well that the pressure he puts on himself gets in his way,” Vicente said. “With the stress he plays with, he is scared of doing the things we work on. When he manages to overcome that, he will be more dangerous, but also his life will be better. He really suffers a lot on court.

“Before, if he was losing, he would shut down… Now, he’s realised [he can’t do that]. He used to leave tournaments hiding under his hoody. I told him, ‘Andrey, it’s going to happen so often to you that you might as well hold your chin up and go and have a coffee with everyone. The people here understand you. Every week, all but one player loses.’”

This honesty, which Vicente constantly employs with Rublev, may be surprising for a coach-player relationship, which is always delicate. The Spaniard, however, finds it the most natural thing in the world, and he has no problems continuing on the path that has given him so much success in the past.

“I am that honest with him, and he knows it,” Vicente admitted. “He’s a great kid. His only problem is that he’s very demanding on himself. He’s Russian. A Russian will try to contradict you the first 25 times. The 26th time, he’ll tell you you’re right. But he’s a very good, honourable guy.”

Russian star set to build on 2020 season

Andrey Rublev is hoping to continue his run of form through to the end of the 2020 season and possibly qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 15-22 November.

Speaking after his Roland Garros quarter-final exit to Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Russian admitted, “Of course, I would like to be there. I would like to do everything, [but] in the end I cannot control this. I will do my best. I will try to fight in every tournament, then we’ll see if I deserve it or not.”

The 22-year-old has compiled a 29-7 match record on the season, including three ATP Tour titles at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (d. Moutet), the Adelaide International (d. Harris) and the Hamburg European Open (d. Tsitsipas).

“I can be only grateful for the past couple of weeks,” admitted Rublev, who also reached the US Open quarter-finals (l. to Medvedev). “All the matches that . I made one more quarter-final, especially after almost being out of the tournament in the first round [against Sam Querrey]."

Rublev had never won a match at Roland Garros, but battled back from two-sets-to-love down to Querrey to make his first Roland Garros quarter-final.

“There's so many things I need to work on, so many things that I need to improve," said Rublev. "Now is a good time to do it, and to be ready for the next season.”

“After all the tournaments that I’ve been playing, I can see what I'm missing, what I'm doing well, what I'm doing not well, what I'm doing wrong. It's easier now to work, than during quarantine when you don’t know how to compare what [your] level is, how [are] the other guys. Now everything is clear and it's time to work.”