By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday August 10, 2024
Andrey Rublev notched his second career win over a reigning World No.1 with a three-set win over Jannik Sinner in Montreal.
Photo Source: TTV
It has been a year of highs and lows for Andrey Rublev. Saturday in Montreal, was most certainly a high.
The Russian upset World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2, for his second career win over a reigning World No.1. Rublev, who also defeated Brandon Nakashima earlier in the day (6-2, 6-2) is into the semifinals at Montreal for the first time.
It was a seesaw battle that saw Rublev take the early lead before Sinner, the defending champion in Montreal, stormed back to take the middle set 6-1.
But by that time Sinner had already began to experience struggles with his right hip, and he seemed to drop his level as Rublev dominated the decider to earn his third career win over the Italian in eight tries.
"For me it's a special moment because I was struggling for many months," Rublev said. "So, I guess, I needed that match, to feel that I'm playing well, that I'm able to show good results. So I'm happy."
Once Sinner failed to convert five break points in the opening game of the set, he quickly fell behind 3-0. He would never recover.
The Italian downplayed the injury in his post-match press conference, saying:
"I think these kind of things are a bit more mentally than the physical for sure. Even if I know that my body is not as strained as I would like to because of last week, but it was also mentally for sure."
The Italian missed the Olympics with tonsillitis, and was clearly fatigued against Rublev.
"I didn't start off very well, and then after the second I found myself in a better situation," Sinner said. "In the third set it's how it went, no? It's okay. It happens. He played better in the important moments. Yeah, he deserved to win."
Rublev Feels He's Turned a Corner
The Russian has had trouble keeping his volatile nature in check this season. He was disqualified from his semifinal in Dubai for an audible obscenity (verbal abuse of an official) and afterwards vowed to learn from the episide. But it appeared to drag him down this season.
On Saturday he talked about the process and said he has battled with depression and "many things outside of the court."
"Mentally I was out of order," he said. "I don't know how you can say it. Everything. I guess it was already long moment of everything, and I start to burn out because I was struggling for many years with depression, with many things outside of the court.
"I guess this year it's when I couldn't handle it anymore, and it starts to just explode. It start to explode more and more on the court because in life I was able to stay calm, but inside the court I was burning everything. In the end, I was struggling. Now last months I feel really good, and straight away tennis is better."
Rublev will face Italy's Matteo Arnaldi, who defeated Kei Nishikori, in the semifinals on Sunday in Montreal.