Rublev happy with first ATP Finals appearance

Making his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals, Andrey Rublev failed to move past the group stage but ended his season with a win over Dominic Thiem.

With Thiem having already qualified for the semifinals and Rublev losing both his earlier matches, only pride was at stake in their final round-robin match. The Russian was able to salvage a win at his first ATP Finals appearance, defeating Thiem in straight sets to finish his 2020 ATP Tour campaign with a 41-10 record.

“I started really well, since the first point and since the first return,” said Rublev after the match. “Dominic didn’t start that well and I took advantage from the beginning. That helped me to have more confidence and helped me to play better and better… I wish Dominic the best of luck in the semi-finals, he deserves to be where he is and he deserves to win the title.”

The 23-year old reflected on his tournament, during which he squandered a match point in a close match against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek star ended up winning that match and eliminating Rublev from qualification contention.

“I feel happy to be here," added Rublev. "I was so close in my second match. I had match point and I was serving, so it could have been a completely different story if I won two matches. I would maybe still have a chance to be in the semi-finals… It is a part of life, I just need to keep working and we will see what is going to happen next.”

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