Andrey Rublev feels confident after strong Melbourne start

The 7th seed Andrey Rublev made a winning start at the Australian Open, toppling Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 42 minutes to continue where he left at the ATP Cup.

The Russian hit 17 aces and performed 35 winners and 26 unforced errors, overcoming a slow start and never looking back to advance into the second round. Hanfmann grabbed one break, and he needed more if he wanted to stay in touch, losing serve five times to propel Andrey through.

"I don't know if it's the best tennis in my career, but I'm playing great at the moment. I was showing a high level at the ATP Cup, and I'm thrilled that I'm winning match by match. We played for the first time, and I started a bit tight. But this is normal, and I was pleased that I could control the match almost from the start. In the end, I was the one who was controlling the match, and it was nice to finish the match in three sets; it gives me confidence," Andrey Rublev said.