TURIN/STARNBERG, November 14, 2022
Andrey Rublev opened the action in the Red Group at the Nitto ATP Finals with a hard-fought 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(7) win over fellow Russian and 2020 champion Daniil Medvedev on Monday.
In front of a packed crowd in Turin, the 25-year-old from Moscow withstood 25 aces and broke Medvedev’s serve three times to prevail after two hours and 31 minutes.
WHAT A WIN 🙌
The moment @AndreyRublev97 defeated 2020 champion Medvedev for his 50th win in 2022!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/uCM4IuHQvN
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 14, 2022
“I was thinking about the US Open, because when we played in the quarter-finals in 2020, I think I was 5/1 in a tie-break, also something like 6/2, but I was leading something similar in a tie-break,” said Rublev, quoted by the ATP Tour website. “But when I lost that set, I couldn’t play anymore, and I was thinking it cannot happen the same [again], I have to change something. I have to keep playing, because if I win one set, even if I lose in three sets, it’s still good, because here you have a group. So you have to fight for every point, every game, and I was able to win.
“The final tie-break, the rallies that we had there were crazy. The last rally, we had I don’t know, 30 shots. I was cramping a bit already, but I was thinking ‘One more, one more’. You have to keep playing. For sure he felt the same, so just keep playing if you have the chance, just go for it’. In the end I was able to win.”
Rublev will next face No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece and seventh favourite Novak Djokovic of Serbia in his upcoming round-robin matches.
Fritz beats Nadal in Group Green
On Sunday, Rafael Nadal‘s chances of finishing the year as World No. 1 suffered a major blow following a 7-6(3), 6-1 loss to debutant Taylor Fritz from the United States in his opening match in the Green Group.
“I don’t think I was getting in the right positions in the first set. I think that my serve worked well, then he was hitting the ball very strong,” said Nadal. “I need more matches to play at this kind of level, even if I am practising well, much better than how I am competing, without a doubt. That’s normal.”
“I’m gonna keep trying, without a doubt”
Once a fighter, always a fighter 😤@RafaelNadal #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/OqE3tOR926
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 14, 2022
The 36-year-old Spaniard will next face third-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud, who played his best match since losing his second Grand Slam final of the year at the US Open in New York to beat in-form Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(4), 6-4.
