Unstoppable Rublev Brushes Past Tiafoe

In this form, it’s hard to see where Andrey Rublev’s red-hot run will end.

The seventh seed faced a potentially tricky assignment in Tuesday’s BNP Paribas Open third round, facing up against exciting home favourite Frances Tiafoe. Rublev showed little interest in getting involved in a drawn-out affair, however, crashing 21 winners in 70 minutes to breeze through with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

“To play Frances is never easy and I’m happy to be through today and through to the fourth round for the first time in Indian Wells,” said Rublev after the match. “We’ll see what’s going to happen. Now [there’s] no pressure, I’ve done better than ever here, so now I just need to try to relax and play tennis.”

The win on Stadium 1 extends Rublev’s winning streak to 11 after he took the titles in both Marseille and Dubai. It also avenged defeat to Tiafoe in the pair’s only previous ATP Head2Head meeting, a five-set thriller at the 2021 US Open. The American has struggled with an elbow injury since then, winning just two matches in 2022 so far, but on his day is a threat to anyone on tour.

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Rublev is a dominant force at ATP 500 events. His February triumph in Dubai was his fifth title at that level, but he hasn’t always found it easy to produce similar form at ATP Masters 1000 series tournaments. The tide showed signs of turning in 2021, however, as he reached the semi-finals at the Miami Open presented by Itau and the championship match at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati

This performance suggested another deep run is on the cards in the California desert, despite an early setback as Tiafoe broke in the opening game. Rublev hit back to level at 2-2 and clinched a second crucial break at the tail-end of the set to get himself in front.

The second set was decided by a solitary break for Rublev, a dominant serving display making it difficult for Tiafoe to get any sort of foothold in the match.

Rublev acknowledged afterwards that his performance on serve had been key to nullifying the powerful Tiafoe game. According to Infosys ATP Stats, he won 82 per cent (28/34) points behind his first delivery and fired seven aces in the match.

“When you feel your serve, and you feel that you can go full power and are most likely going to make it, of course it’s going to give you extra confidence,” he said. “Because then you know you can start to dictate the rally, even if the guy is going to return well. It gives you huge advantages.”

Rublev will now take on 2021 Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round. The World No. 11 beat American Steve Johnson 7-6(7), 6-3 earlier on Tuesday, and will be looking to reach the quarter-finals for the third time in three appearances in Indian Wells when he faces up against Rublev.

Rublev edged Hurkacz in a third-set tie-break in the Dubai semi-finals just a few weeks ago, and despite that fight he is looking forward to the challenge of facing the Pole again in the fourth round on Wednesday.

“I was thinking after the Dubai match, when am I going to see him again?” said Rublev. “But it’s tennis, it’s fun, we cannot control this, so we have to face each other tomorrow again and hopefully it’s going to be another good match.”