Andrey Rublev’s emotional reaction as he wins his 2nd Masters title in Madrid. He falls to the floor and covers his face. This man is just someone you want to see succeed. From struggling to playing some of his best tennis. Resilience. 🥹
Andrey RUBLEV claims Madrid Open crown with gritty performance against Felix AUGER-ALIASSIME
ATPMonday, 06 May 2024 at 01:43
Andrey
Rublev (No. 8) is the champion of the Madrid Open after defeating Felix
Auger-Aliassime (No. 35) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. The Russian had a shaky start but
showed increasingly higher level to clinch his second Masters 1000 title.
In an
entertaining final, the Canadian displayed great resilience despite Rublev's
superiority for much of the match. The 26-year-old Rublev now has 16 titles as
a professional, 6 of them on clay, and will advance to world No. 6.
Unexpected Finalists at Caja Magica
The
Canadian had luck on his side on the way to the final, as he received a
walkover in the third round against Jakub Mensik after playing only one set.
Then in the quarterfinals, his opponent, the first seed Jannik Sinner, decided
not to play due to hip problems, and a day later, he played only six games
against Jiri Lehecka in the semifinals before he also retired.
Rublev
(7th seed) also left behind a rough patch after four consecutive defeats before
coming to Madrid. This week, the 26-year-old Russian eliminated the second seed
and two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz on his way and then defeated the
American Taylor Fritz in the semifinals.
Rublev clinches second Masters 1000 Title
Rublev
came in as the most experienced player in these stages, marking his fourth
Masters 1000 final, and had a slight favoritism over his opponent. The Russian
showed nerves as he conceded his first service game without winning a point,
giving his opponent a significant advantage.
Rublev had 4 conssecutive losses before Madrid
Auger-Aliassime
maintained the lead for some service games and threatened his opponent's serve
with some break points in his favor. The Canadian secured the second break and
went up 4-1, although Rublev immediately recovered it, it was not enough to
turn the set around, and Felix managed to hold on to the lead and took the set
6-4.
As the
match progressed, Rublev loosened up his service and improved the sensations
from the first games that were entirely in favor of Auger-Aliassime. The
Canadian had a 77% first serve and won 67% of them, while Rublev had a 66%
first serve, winning 62% of them. However, Auger-Aliassime's 14 winners and 5
unforced errors marked clear differences against his rival's 5 winners and 4
unforced errors.
In the
second set, the pressure was once again on Rublev's side, who seemed much
calmer from the service but didn't manage much from the return. The set
unfolded smoothly for both, in the sixth game Auger-Aliassime saved a break
point against him, and it was becoming increasingly evident that Rublev was
closer to taking the lead. Just when the tie-break seemed imminent, Rublev got
a couple of break opportunities and eventually clinched the set 7-5, becoming
increasingly superior to his opponent.
The
third set continued with Rublev easily winning his service games while
Auger-Aliassime struggled to keep up with his rival. The Canadian saved break
points against him in most of the service games but stayed alive against an impeccable
Rublev who at times became practically unplayable for his opponent.
With
the score 5-6 against him, the pressure was too much for Auger-Aliassime, who
conceded the first match point of the match and unfortunately committed a
double fault that handed the title to Rublev 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. With this victory,
Rublev reaches world No. 6, extends his head-to-head against Auger-Aliassime to
5-1, and totals 16 titles in his career.
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