Andrey Rublev captured his third tour-level title of the season Sunday, overcoming World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and a lively Serbian crowd to complete his Serbia Open debut in style.
In a hard-fought clash, the second dug deep against Djokovic as he
hit with relentless power and intensity to outlast the home favourite
6-2, 6-7(4), 6-0 at the ATP 250 clay-court event. The 24-year-old saved five set points in the second set to force a
tie-break and while he was unable to prevent Djokovic from levelling the
match, Rublev regrouped in the decider as he looked the fitter of the
two to triumph after two hours and 29 minutes.
He said:
“It is big to play against you and share the court for the second time. I hope we have more battles. I feel so great here, it is a very nice city. It feels really special. I want to say a big thanks to all the spectators for supporting all the players all week. To see full crowds again is special for all of us.”
Rublev has now equalled Spaniard Rafael Nadal for the most tour-level titles in 2022, having also clinched crowns in Marseille and Dubai in February.
Rublev arrived in Belgrade off the back of disappointing ATP Masters 1000 performances in Miami and Monte Carlo, where he lost in the second round and third round, respectively.
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mandoist03-11-2024 - Players need to STOP TRYING TO JUSTIFY THEIR INCLUSION! They are not ambassadors for women in Saudi Arabia, they are not politicians, and they will never make a difference for females in that 'culture'. This little tennis "tournament" changes nothing. Players were lured by the money, opted to participate, and should just keep their predictable excuses and Women's Freedom Fairy Tales to themselves. Period. Like most things in Life -- one cannot make an argument against the Saudi Regime and, at the same time, triple your bank account with their "gifts".mandoist03-11-2024
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