MONTREAL/STARNBERG, August 11, 2024
In a rain-interrupted quarterfinal at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, Andrey Rublev defeated defending champion Jannik Sinner in a challenging three-set match on Saturday in Montreal.
Rublev secured a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 victory, propelling him to eighth place in the ATP Live Race To Turin. This win moves him ahead of Stefanos Tsitsipas as the competition for a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals intensifies.
Sinner seemed to struggle with a right-hip injury during the match, especially in the deciding set. This may indicate a recurrence of an issue that has affected him throughout the 2024 season. Although he did not request medical assistance, the 22-year-old Italian was seen massaging his hip during changeovers and leaning on his racquet after several demanding points. Before the third set began, microphones captured coach Darren Cahill advising Sinner to call for a trainer if necessary.
Rublev withstood 10 aces and broke Sinner’s serve three times to prevail in one hour and 47 minutes.
Andrey’s day 🙌
The moment @AndreyRublev97 defeated Jannik Sinner for his second victory over a reigning World No.1! #OBN24 pic.twitter.com/kWTeWjmyyh
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 11, 2024
“It was a really great match of mine. I was playing really well today and I’m happy that I was able to win,” Rublev said after his second win over a reigning World No. 1.
“I don’t know, not much to say, because I still for the moment… really I don’t understand what’s happening, because Jannik is an amazing player and he’s playing unbelievable for the past two years. I was just hoping that I would be able to fight with him, to show great tennis. In the end, I think we had a lot of great rallies, a lot of long rallies.
“To be able to win this kind of match, of course it’s always special, and of course I needed those matches, especially after some bad moments this year. So of course I’m happy.”
Rublev will next take on Matteo Arnaldi, who closed Saturday’s play with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over resurgent Kei Nishikori from Japan. The 23-year-old Italian advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final and his second tour-level semi-final overall after the Croatian Open in Umag 2023.
Please click here for Montreal Saturday Results.
