Andrey
Rublev secured a victory against Benoit "The Rebel" Paire in straight
quarters 21-8, 14-13, 17-13 and advanced
to the UTS final against Grigor "G-Unit" Dimitrov.
The final
day of the
Ultimate Tennis Showdown clarified the second finalist of the
exhibition tournament taking place in Frankfurt this week. This is the sixth
edition of the tournament since 2020 and the second one this year, with Wu
Yibing being the champion in July in Los Angeles.
A strong
newcomer joined the competition this week, world No. 6 Andrey "Rublo"
Rublev, the top-ranked player in this edition. However, he began the tournament
with a defeat against Diego "El Peque" Schwartzmann.
Two
consecutive victories in the following matches against Gael "La Monf"
Monfils and Christopher "The Rocket" Eubanks gave him the opportunity
to advance to the semifinals and face the usual UTS participant, Frenchman
Benoit Paire.
In the
match, Rublev started by taking the lead from the beginning, having adapted
better to the tournament's rules. He won the first quarter 21-8 while
connecting with 100% of his serves. After the first quarter, the Russian
commented, "In 24 minutes maybe I go to the locker room and I lose."
Rublev's
dominance continued in the next two quarters, although Paire gradually entered
the match and challenged his opponent. In the second quarter, Paire had a 13-12
advantage, but ultimately, Rublev secured the last two points to maintain his
lead with a score of 14-13.
"He
was running like Gael, now I think he needs to go to the hospital," Rublev
said. Paire responded, "Who is this guy Rublo? How is it possible to hit
the ball this hard?"
The last
quarter was again closely contested, but "Rublo" showcased his class
and won a tight set by 17-13, securing his place in the final:
"I am
happy to be in a final, and that's it. Time is always stressing me. The first
match was a bit noisy because it was something new," said Rublev after his
win. "Every match I am playing better and better, happy to be in the
final."
In the
final match, his opponent will be Grigor Dimitrov "G-Unit," who
surprised Diego Schwartzmann in the semifinals.
