"See you in Turin": Andrey Rublev confirms qualification to 2023 ATP Finals with straight-sets victory over Matteo Arnaldi at Vienna Open

Andrey Rublev has confirmed his spot in the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals with a straight-sets victory over Matteo Arnaldi at the Vienna Open, 7-5, 6-3.

The Russian moved within one match of the prestigious season-ending championships after his win against Alexei Popyrin in the first round. Following this, his motivation (and pressure) to get through his second-round clash with the World No. 46 could not have been stronger.

Nevertheless, the Italian was not about to roll over and let Rublev take the victory without difficulty, and fought hard against the World No. 6. The match began with Arnaldi saving his first service game after it went to a deuce, and he was able to get a break point at 3-3 in the opening set.

At this point, it seemed as though qualification for Turin may have been playing on Rublev's mind a little too much. However, he fought back and held, keeping the set on serve.

Moreover, Rublev was able to push ahead at the last minute, fighting to convert a crucial break while leading 6-5 on serve. This secured him the opener and put him within a set of booking his place in Turin.

The second set was a bit more straightforward for the 26-year-old, with Arnaldi's first service game going to a deuce again. Rublev got the advantage after his opponent hit the ball into the net, and was able to successfully convert it into an early break with an impressive display that ended in a lob from a couple of meters inside the baseline. This earned an enthused reaction from the crowd and even drew a wry smile from Arnaldi.

Although he could not secure a double break, Rublev built up three match points while serving for the set and successfully converted the first one to ensure his place at the ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year.

Rublev is the fifth player to qualify for the tournament, with Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner having already confirmed their places. This means that there are three spots remaining.

Rublev will face fifth seed Alexander Zverev, who is also hoping to make it to Turin, in the quarter-finals at the Vienna Open.