Andrey "Rublo" Rublev locked horns with Grigor "G-Unit" Dimitrov in the final of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in Frankfurt, securing the victory on his debut.

The UTS was first created by well-known tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou and has since expanded to a global scale, with the most recent edition being held at the Süwag Energie Arena in Germany. 

The tournament differs significantly from Grand Slams and tournaments on the ATP Tour. For example, the outcome of matches is decided by quarters rather than sets, and there is a much larger focus on audience entertainment and putting on a show.

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Rublev frustrated despite win

The World No. 6 ousted Benoit Paire to make the final against Dimitrov. It was a close battle featuring a lot of entertaining shots, but ultimately "Rublo" took the victory 3-1 in quarters and lifted the lightning bolt trophy in dramatic fashion.

After the match, the 25-year-old revealed that he felt 'lucky' to have won but was still frustrated by the closeness of the match.

"[I was] more lucky today. I was laughing more, but the frustration was still the same," he said.

The Russian has been showing his competitive nature throughout his time at the UTS, despite it being an exhibition event, complaining about the shorter serve times earlier in the tournament. Nevertheless, he seemed to be enjoying the format regardless.

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This was shown when Rublev praised his opponent by joking that he would take him to a 'romantic dinner.'

"If I was a girl I am completely in love with Grigor. As a man, I am even in love with Grigor. We will finish with a romantic dinner today," he said.

Rublev had a solid run at the US Open earlier this month, reaching the quarter-finals before being ousted by World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev. Along the way, the eighth seed defeated Gael Monfils, Arthur Rinderknech, and Jack Draper.

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Andrey Rublev is UTS Frankfurt champion! 🏆

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