Andrey Rublev spoke about his friendship with Grigor Dimitrov before their highly anticipated semifinal clash at the Shanghai Open, a Masters 1000 tournament.
The match between the Russian and the Bulgarian promises to be an exciting battle with intense exchanges between two players in great form. In this case, Rublev is the 5th seed, making him the top favorite among the remaining players in the tournament. He has already defeated three seeded players, including Adrian Mannarino (31st), Tommy Paul (12th), and Ugo Humbert (32nd), all in straight sets.
On the other hand, Dimitrov (18th) has had one of his best weeks in recent years and managed to defeat world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on his way to the semifinals, marking his most significant victory since the 2021 Indian Wells, where he overcame Medvedev in the fourth round. Dimitrov also eliminated the 13th seed Karen Khachanov and faced a tough quarterfinal against Nicolas Jarry (22nd).
Rublev and Dimitrov, ranked 6th and 19th in the world, have spent several years among the best on the ATP Tour and are close friends off the court. Rublev mentioned their friendship ahead of their upcoming semifinal match.
“It’s gonna be a tough match. First, because he’s a friend & I like him. Second, because he’s a really great player. It’s really tough to beat him when he feels the game. When he’s in form, he can play amazing,” 2023 Monte-Carlo champion said
"We can see this week he’s playing really well. Especially the match against Alcaraz. Last time he beat me in straight sets. We’ll see. I hope we can show great tennis & the people will enjoy,” Rublev added.
“Is that where the bromance ends?,” some journalist asked.
“I don’t know. I just wish all the best for both of us,” concluded.
The head-to-head (h2h) record between Rublev and Dimitrov is currently tied at 3-3, with all their encounters taking place on hard courts. Their most recent meeting was in the second round of the 2022 Vienna Open, with Dimitrov securing a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Rublev on facing rival & friend Grigor Dimitrov in Shanghai Andrey: “It’s gonna be a tough match. First, because he’s a friend & I like him. Second, because he’s a really great player. It’s really tough to beat him when he feels the game. When he’s in form, he can play amazing.…
