All posts tagged: andrey andreyevich rublev

Alexander Zverev, Aryna Sabalenka Battle Through In Madrid Open, Andrey Rublev Defence Over

Alexander Zverev, Aryna Sabalenka Battle Through In Madrid Open, Andrey Rublev Defence Over

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World number two Alexander Zverev was taken to the limit by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a gripping Madrid Open third round battle on Sunday, progressing 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0). The Spaniard, roared on by the partisan home crowd, broke in the first and third games to claim the first set with ease. Zverev fought to get back on serve after falling a break behind at the start of the third, and saved two break points in the ninth game before a tie-break. The German won it and was stronger in the third set, breaking for a 5-4 lead. However serving for the match, Zverev was broken to love by the in-form Davidovich Fokina, ranked 29th, but it was his last hurrah as the top seed dominated the second tie-break. “The first set wasn’t my best tennis, but in sport it can change very quickly, I was down a set and a break but I kept fighting and I’m very happy for the win,” Zverev told TVE. “It was a very tough win… …

Teenager Joao Fonseca In Melbourne Stunner As Daniil Medvedev Survives Big Scare

Teenager Joao Fonseca In Melbourne Stunner As Daniil Medvedev Survives Big Scare

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Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca stunned ninth seed Andrey Rublev in a major Australian Open shock on Tuesday as racquet-smashing 2024 finalist Daniil Medvedev narrowly avoided the same fate. A rampant Taylor Fritz, veteran Gael Monfils and home hope Alex de Minaur also all progressed into round two at Melbourne Park. In the women’s draw, Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina were both emphatic winners on day three, with Emma Navarro and Emma Raducanu also victorious. But the day belonged to the 18-year-old Fonseca, who defeated Russia’s Rublev 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) on his Grand Slam debut. Roared on by Brazilian fans decked out in yellow, Fonseca appeared totally unfazed as he set up a second-round meeting with Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego. “It’s the first time playing in a huge stadium,” he told an energised Margaret Court Arena. “There are a lot of Brazilians here cheering for me and I enjoyed every moment, thanks a lot.” Rublev’s fellow Russian Medvedev, a three-time losing finalist in Melbourne including a year ago to Jannik Sinner, was heavy …

Stan Wawrinka, 39, Ousts Top Seed Andrey Rublev To Reach Stockholm Semis

Stan Wawrinka, 39, Ousts Top Seed Andrey Rublev To Reach Stockholm Semis

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File photo of Stan Wawrinka© AFP Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka rolled back the years on Friday as the 39-year-old ousted top seed Andrey Rublev to reach the Stockholm semi-finals. Wawrinka, currently ranked 217th in the world, battled past seventh-ranked Russian Rublev, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) to notch his first win over a top-10 player this year. The Swiss player next meets US fourth seed Tommy Paul, the 2021 Stockholm champion, who beat Serb Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (9/7), 6-2. “I cannot change my age, but most important for me is that when I enter the court, I always try to fight,” said Wawrinka, the third-oldest semi-finalist in modern ATP Tour history behind Jimmy Connors and Ivo Karlovic. “I try to improve and enjoy what I am doing. The reason I keep going is to play matches like this, with so many people giving me good energy on the court, and I’m super happy to have the chance to play one more match tomorrow.” The former world number three fired down 14 aces, converting his first match …

Czech Teenager Jakub Mensik Stuns Top Seed Andrey Rublev At Qatar Open

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Jakub Mensik in action© AFP Czech teenager Jakub Mensik stunned top seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets at the Qatar Open on Thursday to reach his maiden ATP semi-final and guarantee a spot in the world’s top 100 for the first time. The 18-year-old came through 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) against the fifth-ranked Rublev, a day after defeating three-time Grand Slam title winner Andy Murray. “It’s just been an incredible week. From the beginning I played very well and I knew I could play with the big players. It’s an amazing feeling to reach the semi-finals after beating those good players,” said wildcard Mensik who arrived in the Gulf ranked at 116. “But the job is not done yet. Hopefully I can play like this again in the semis and go on to make the final.” With his one-hour, 38-minute win on Thursday, Mensik became the youngest player to defeat a top-five player since Carlos Alcaraz overcame Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 US Open.  Mensik will face 2018 champion Gael Monfils for a place …

Fourth-Seed Jannik Sinner Beats Fifth-Seed Andrey Rublev To Reach Australian Open Semi-Finals

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Jannik Sinner at Australian Open 2024© AFP Jannik Sinner swept past Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the early hours of Wednesday to reach his first Australian Open semi-final, where he faces a daunting task against defending champion Novak Djokovic. The Italian fourth seed was rock solid on serve throughout the encounter on Rod Laver Arena, winning 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 against the Russian fifth seed. “It’s obviously very tough to play against him,” said Sinner. “We’ve had tough matches in the past. “Today was three sets but I could have lost both (the first two). First set, he had so many break points and I somehow served really well. I just tried to move him around. “I’m just trying to stary aggressive. It went my way today so really happy.” A single break gave Sinner the first set but the turning point in the contest came when he powered back from 5-1 down in the second set tie-break. Sinner won six points in a row to take a vice-like grip on the match, including an astonishing cross-court winner at the …

Andrey Rublev Wears Down Alex De Minaur To Reach Australian Open Quarter-Finals

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Andrey Rublev in action© AFP Fifth seed Andrey Rublev tamed a battling Alex de Minaur in five gruelling sets to shatter home hopes and make his second successive Australian Open quarter-final on Sunday. The Russian wore down the 10th-seeded Australian 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-0 over a draining four hours and 14 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. It brought up his 300th Tour-level win and thrust him into a difficult clash with in-form Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner for a place in the semi-finals. “An amazing match from Alex,” said Rublev, who has made nine previous Slam quarter-finals but never gone further. “When I was down two sets to one, I said, ‘you might die today but you will do everything’. And then I started to play better and better and found more energy and I was able to win.” Rublev was the sharper of the two in the opening set, achieving the crucial break in game four. A 73-minute second set proved much tighter and they went toe-to-toe into a …

Andrey Rublev Survives Scare As Chinese Teen Stuns Frances Tiafoe In Hong Kong Open

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World number five Andrey Rublev survived a huge scare on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open, as third seed Frances Tiafoe was stunned by a Chinese teenager. Rublev came through 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 against 19-year-old Frenchman Arthur Fils in a rollercoaster 1hr 52min of highly entertaining tennis at Victoria Park. The Russian top seed will face another teenager in the last four after “Jerry” Shang Juncheng breezed past world number 16 Tiafoe 6-4, 6-4 to notch the biggest win of his fledgling career and reach his first ATP Tour semi-final. Rublev raced away with the first set before rising star Fils turned the match on its head with some exceptional attacking play in the second. Rublev found his range again at the start of the decider to take a 3-0 lead as the youngster from Paris got into a running row with the umpire after some failed challenges to tight calls. The normally fiery Rublev was, by contrast, calmness personified at the other end and sealed the match with a second …

Rublev Comes Through Five-Set Epic To Make Australian Open Quarters

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Never-say-die fifth seed Andrey Rublev saved two match points to topple Danish teen Holger Rune in a tense five-set clash on Monday, booking his place in the Australian Open quarter-finals.In a battle of two former junior world number ones, the Russian broke when Rune was serving for the match, then saved two match points before winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (11/9) in sapping heat on Rod Laver Arena. He will face either nine-time champion Novak Djokovic, who is struggling with a hamstring injury, or Australian hope Alex De Minaur for a place in the semi-finals. The victory put the 25-year-old into the Melbourne quarter-finals for a second time and for a seventh time at Grand Slams. Despite being world number six Rublev, who has won 13 ATP titles, has never been further. “It’s not like a rollercoaster, it’s like they put a gun to your head. A rollercoaster is easier,” said the exhausted Russian after the 3hrs 37mins epic. “I think I was never able to win matches like this and this was the …