By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday July 25, 2024
Andrey Rublev rallied from a set down to reach the last four at Umag.
Photo Source: Getty
2017 champion Andrey Rublev is back in the hunt for a title at Umag.
The ninth-ranked Russian reached his first semifinal since May (when he won the Madrid title) with a come from beind win over Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan on Thursday in Croatia. Rublev, who is seeking to win multiple titles at the same event for the first time this week, will face Francisco Cerundolo in the semifinals on Friday.
He fought back to defeat Marozsan 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 for his 40th ATP semifinal, Rublev dominated the final set, dropping just five points on serve and breaking Marozsan twice from six opportunities. 16-time ATP title winner Rublev lost just eight points on serve and didn’t face a break point across the second and third sets, compared to 21 points lost on serve in the opening set, with three breaks surrendered.
“After the first set I was thinking that maybe today's not my day,” Rublev said. “But then somehow I changed my mentality and I started to say, 'No, just keep fighting and we'll see what's going to happen.'”
Lorenzo Musetti, the No.2 seed, also rallied from a set down to reach the semis on Thursday. He toppled Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 to set a clash with 18-year-old Jakub Mensik.
The Czech took out Tseng Chun Hsin 6-0, 6-4.