By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 15, 2023
Hubert Hurkacz saved championship point out-dueling Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) to capture his seventh career title, including his second Masters 1000 crown.
Photo credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty
Arduous final flights don’t faze Hubert Hurkacz.
Displaying power and poise, Hurkacz piloted a tricky title trip to land his second Masters championship in a thrill ride.
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Hurkacz hammered four of his 21 aces in the tiebreaker and saved a championship point out-dueling Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) to capture the Rolex Shanghai Masters crown.
On his fourth championship point, Hurkacz banged a backhand down the line, watched Rublev’s forehand expire in net then tossed his Yonex racquet aside and thrust his arms aloft in triumph.
Amid intense tiebreak pressure, Hurkacz delivered bold serving to seize his seventh career championship, raising his career finals record to an impeccable 7-1—and sharing the celebration by dedicating the title to his grandmother on her birthday.
“It was such a battle—especially emotionally,” Hurkacz said. “I had a match point before Andrey—he hit an amazing serve—then Andrey had some match points. Then I had some match points.
“We were just going back and forth. It was such a tricky match. Andrey was playing some really great shots. I was trying to respond with some good ones as well. It was just one of those matches you just got to stay in it until the end. Just super happy with how I managed at the end.”
In a superb serving performance, Hurkacz served 75 percent, pounded 21 aces against no double faults, won 81 percent of his first-serve points and faced just two break points.
"I don't need to be impressed with his level because I know that he is a super great player and it's so tough to beat him, and I knew this since the beginning," Rublev said. "We played before four times with each other and with him, you can easily lose only the way he serve. As we could see today he was serving unreal. The way he shoots sometimes from baseline, full power, so tough to do something.
"Like I said, he's moving really well, so it's not easy to hit a winner against him. So I was not surprised at all because I knew that's his level."
Carrying an ignominious 1-6 record vs. Top 10 opponents this year onto court, Hurkacz confronted a red-hot Rublev who had not surrendered a set en route to his fourth career Masters 1000 final.
The seventh-ranked Rublev ripped an inside-out forehand winner to take a 5-2 lead in the decisive tiebreaker. A serve winner out wide gave Rublev championship point at 6-5.
As the crowd crescendo erupted, Hurkacz hit his 20th ace erasing championship point. Hurkacz hammered a 21st ace—the second time in tiebreaker he slammed successive aces—for his second championship point.
Though Hurkacz narrowly missed a forehand down the line, he showed guts going for the same shot on the next point and landing it for a third championship point only to see Rublev repel it with a diagonal forehand.
Hurkacz zapped a wide serve for his fourth championship point before finally closing a fierce battle in two hours, six minutes. It’s Hurkacz’s first Masters 1000 championship since he defeated Jannik Sinner to win the 2021 Miami Open.
Spare a thought for Rublev, who turned the match around in the second set and put himself in position to take the title only to see Hurkacz rise up.
Four time this season, Rublev has saved a match point to win and he nearly pulled off a fifth match-point save today. After a gut-wrenching loss, Rublev repeatedly slammed his Head racquet off his knee venting the emotional pain with some physical pain before paying tribute to his buddy as a worthy winner.
“Congrats to Hubi for an amazing tournament, for the second Masters 1000 title,” Rublev said. “We’ve been together for the Laver Cup and we played doubles together. You deserve to win today and I’m happy for you and be proud of yourself and hopefully you will do better and better and win more titles.”
Before a packed Qi Zhong Tennis Center crowd that included 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer who seemed to relish the action as much as the fans, the Hurkacz first serve was the biggest shot on the court in the first set.
"It’s really cool seeing Roger in the stands, hopefully he enjoyed the match a little bit as well," Hurkacz said. "He had so much success winning here a couple of times. Such a great tournament with such a great tradition over the years. It’s been amazing. It’s a huge event. I’m really happy today."
Hurkacz broke for a 4-2 lead and consolidated at 15 for 5-2.
The 6’5” Pole served 80 percent and won 18 of 20 first-serve points powering to a one-set lead.
Hurkacz hit 13 winners—six more than his opponent—and threw down an ace out wide to stake a one-set lead after 31 minutes of play.
Resetting, Rublev ripped through a three-ace game to start the second set.
The red-haired Russian imposed his ferocious forehand. Rublev pounded a pair of forehands down the line breaking Hurkacz right out of the box for the first time in the final for a 2-0 second-set lead.
A resurgent Rublev rifled his seventh ace out wide to extend his lead to 4-1 20 minutes into the second set.
The 25-year-old Rublev sped through his third love hold of the final to take the second set and force a decider after 62 minutes.
The Hurkacz two-handed backhand is a rock-solid shot, but he netted it to face the first break point of the final set. Hurkacz hammered his 89th ace of the tournament to erase it. Hurkacz cracked his 13th ace of the final holding firm for 2-1 after 80 minutes.
The 16th-seeded Hurkacz hammered his 16th ace edging ahead 4-3. Rublev responded with a quick love hold leveling after eight games.
Rublev was serving at 4-5 when Hurkacz tightened the screws. Hurkacz pounced on a mid-court ball and spun a forehand approach down the line drawing even at deuce in the 10th game. Hurkacz hit behind the Russian with a forehand down the line for match point.
A raging Rublev responded by screaming at one of the court-side photographers who had apparently disrupted him. Hit with a code violation by chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein, Rublev hit an ace off the T to save match point and carved out a fine drop volley winner to survive stress for 5-5.
Rublev rolled his 13th ace to cap a love hold and force the decisive tiebreaker.
The Rublev forehand was fizzing with pace and spin as he opened the decisive tiebreaker with the mini break darting out to a 3-0 lead.
Drilling a diagonal forehand, Rublev stretched his lead to 5-2. A Rublev serve winner staked him to championship point at 6-5.
Stepping to the line, Hurkacz calmly cranked consecutive aces for a 7-6 lead. On his second championship point, Hurkacz narrowly missed a forehand down the line.
Down 7-8, Rublev denied a third championship point firing an inside-out forehand.
Hurkacz whipped the wide serve for a fourth championship point.
Skimming the tape during a 17-shot rally, Hurkacz showed courage playing down the line over the high part of the net to coax one final error and seize his seventh title.
"I definitely think [it's the most exciting end to a match I've played]," Hurkacz said. "It's the final of Masters Series, and we both have match points in the tiebreaker.
"We're just battling, you know, we both have some chances, so definitely it was just, yeah, just so exciting and just, you know, super pumped at the end to battle and win that last point."