A great week of tennis in St. Petersburg ends today when Andrey Rublev faces Borna Coric for the title.
The St. Petersburg Open has been a great tournament that saw many great matches but only two men remain and they will face today at 15:30 CET. Andrey Rublev played his first tournament as a top 10 player this week and he didn't disappoint reaching a final on his home soil. It wasn't an easy ride as he lost two sets en route to the final. He almost lost against Shapovalov in the semis but he found a way to win as he does so often.
His opponent, Coric didn't have a much easier route towards the final either. He faced some strong opposition but he won in straight sets against all of them except Raonic who took a set off him. His response after losing that opening set was stellar and he deservedly found himself in the final. Facing Andrey in front of his home crowd will be a totally different animal but Coric has looked sharp and serious all week so he is not without chances.
The players know each other rather well as they have played three times so far. The Russian won all three matches without dropping a set which is especially impressive. Naturally playing on Russian soil he is considered the favourite and an overwhelming one. Coric will try his best but if tradition means anything he is not slated for a great day tomorrow. But Coric likes being the underdog and he performs very well in those situations. The match starts at 15:30 CET.