"You feel sad, but at the same time, you want to win": Mixed feelings for Andrey Rublev after defeating close friend Grigor Dimitrov
ATP
Russia’s tennis star Andrey Rublev
has revealed that he has mixed feelings after beating his close friend
Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov.
The duo faced off in the semifinal
of the ongoing Shanghai Masters where the world number seven came out on top in
straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-3.
Talking about it after the match, Rublev
stated that it was definitely hard to face a close friend because it made him
sad to beat him but at the same time, he wanted to win the contest as well.
"It's not easy when you win
matches against friends because you feel both sides,” he said. “You feel sad,
but at the same time, you want to win. So it's like a mixture of the feelings.
But I don't know.
"I feel really sorry for the
situation as the tiebreak at 3-2 because it was the let and I wanted to reply
the point and Grigor, I don't know, he behaved like a real champion and said,
'No it's not about you,' but so he gave me the point basically. And basically,
maybe because of this point I was able to win the tiebreak.”
Rublev will now face Poland’s Hubert
Hurkacz in the final of the competition on Sunday. Both players have faced off
four times in the history of tennis where both players went on to win two times
each.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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