Despite being the top seed at the Citi Open, Andrey Rublev was not expecting a long stay in Washington, D.C., once he learned that #NextGenATP star Jack Draper was his opening opponent.

But with a nothing-to-lose mindset, Rublev dominated the Briton on Tuesday in a 6-4, 6-2 victory that enabled him to conserve energy during a hot week in the United States.

“To be honest, I was thinking today… for sure it was a tough match, but I was thinking most likely I would lose the match,” he revealed after the win. “I had that feeling because in Madrid he almost beat me. Today I was just going on court to do my best and I said since the beginning that maybe, most likely, I’m going to lose the match.”

Draper left a lasting impression in their first ATP Head2Head meeting at the Mutua Madrid Open in May, when Rublev edged through 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. But there would be no late drama in the D.C. sun, as Rublev controlled the second-round matchup throughout.

“In the end I’m happy that I was able to win in straight sets,” he said.

The top seed converted on his seventh break point of the opening set and then secured an early break in the second. Draper earned his only two break points of the match as he fought for an immediate reply, but Rublev cleaned up the errors that led to the opening as he crucially held for 3-1. He lost just three points on first serve in the one-hour, 23-minute contest, posting an 89 per cent (24/27) win rate.

Rublev’s respect for his opponent was clear as he remained on high alert down the stretch, showing frustration as he was unable to extend his lead. He would ultimately secure a second break to take the sting out of the contest before cooly serving out the match.

Asked if his low expectations were the key to victory, Rublev was not so sure. “I don’t know, because sometimes when I think this way, I also lose matches,” he said. “It’s better to not ask me. My mind is out of order,” he joked.

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The victory improves Rublev to 33-11 on season and 19-4 on hard courts. He is seeking his fourth title of the season (Marseille, Dubai, Belgrade), a mark which would draw him level with Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz for joint-most on the year.

He will next face the winner of the all-American matchup between 13th seed Maxime Cressy and Jack Sock. Sock battled back from two breaks down in the opening set to defeat David Goffin 7-6(4), 6-4 on Tuesday.

Sebastian Korda earned a bounceback victory on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Citi Open.

The American snapped a three-match losing streak with a 6-4, 7-6(5) win against Ilya Ivashka, who reached the semi-finals last week in Atlanta. Korda will next play 12th seed Sebastian Baez of Argentina, whom he defeated in last year’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.

“He’s an unbelievable player when it’s in his strike zone,” Korda said of Baez. “Just kind of [have to] mix it up and hope for the best.”

There was little to differentiate the two players on Stadium Court, but Ivashka made two consecutive unforced backhand errors from 5/5 in the second-set tie-break to relinquish his chance to force a decider. Korda triumphed after one hour and 40 minutes.

Two other Americans were unable to advance. Japanese lefty Yoshihito Nishioka eliminated last week’s Atlanta finalist, Jenson Brooksby, 6-4, 6-3, and Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori rallied past Mackenzie McDonald 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Briton Kyle Edmund earned his first ATP Tour win in 29 months on Monday, but was unable to replicate the feat Tuesday. Countryman Daniel Evans ousted Edmund 6-1, 6-2.

The 16th seed won 61 per cent of his return points and broke his opponent’s serve six times from eight opportunities to move on after 63 minutes.

“My focus was very good. I had a bit of a blip at the end, but I thought I didn’t do much wrong. He hit I think three winners,” Evans said in his on-court interview. “Just really happy to be going still. It’s always nice to start a new swing off with a win and it’s nice to be through to the third round.”

Andy Murray is determined to find a solution to his ongoing cramping issues after he struggled physically during his first-round defeat against Mikael Ymer on Monday at the Citi Open in Washington.

The former World No. 1, who also suffered cramping in Newport last month, battled against the Swede in the American heat for two hours and 50 minutes and looked physically drained in the deciding set.

“I [have] struggled a little bit with [cramping] the past two tournaments. I need to have a little look at that with my team and maybe see why that is, make a few changes,” Murray said during his post-match press conference.

“In terms of the training off the court and on the practice court, I’ll have to look at that as well and see if there’s more that I could be doing, maybe different ways of practising to help with that. Scheduling training more in the heat of the day at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. rather than 10 a.m. when it’s not quite as humid, not quite as warm, not quite as helpful. There are a few things I can look at.”

After losing the first set, Murray responded by taking his chances in the second set to level the match at the ATP 500 event. However, the Scot, who admitted he normally enjoys the humid conditions, was unable to match Ymer’s intensity in the third set.

“It was disappointing. I thought there was some good tennis in the first set. After that both of us were struggling a bit physically,” Murray added. “The level of the tennis was not great. I had chances in the first set to close that out. I had set point at 6-5, then three in the tie-break and didn’t get it. [It was] frustrating.”

Murray is now 22-13 on the season across all levels, having reached finals in Sydney and Stuttgart earlier this year. The 35-year-old will look to regain his best form when he takes to court in Montreal next week at an ATP Masters 1000 event he has won twice, including in his previous appearance in 2015.

“The only positive is now that I get more time to prepare for the tournament in Canada. I guess if I can address sort of the physical issue I’ve had the last couple of tournaments, then that would be a positive thing. I obviously need to address that now.”

Nick Kyrgios may have changed his partner, but he tasted the same success to extend his winning run on Monday at the Citi Open.

The Australian captured his second tour-level doubles title of the season with countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis in Atlanta at the weekend, but showed little sign of tiredness in his opening match in Washington, teaming with American Jack Sock to reach the second round.

The unseeded tandem fired nine aces and broke three times to upset third seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-4, 6-4 in 68 minutes.

Kyrgios and Sock, who are joining forces for the second time this season, are aiming to clinch their second tour-level title as a team at the ATP 500 event, having won the crown in Lyon in 2018. They will next play Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin or Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

Mackenzie McDonald and Botic van de Zandschulp also advanced on the opening day in Washington, edging Ilya Ivashka and Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-7, 10-8. The American-Dutch tandem will next play top seeds Rajeev Ram and Horacio Zeballos or Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe.

Blumberg/Kecmanovic March On In Los Cabos
William Blumberg and Miomir Kecmanovic earned a debut win as a team on Monday at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos, defeating Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.

The American-Serbian duo rallied from 4/6 in the Match Tie-break to book their spot in the second round after 72 minutes. Blumberg is aiming to lift his second tour-level trophy of the year this week, after triumphing with Steve Johnson in Newport last month.

Treat Huey and Johnson overcame Facundo Bagnis and Alex Hernandez 7-6(10), 6-4 in the other match in Mexico. Huey and Johnson saved two set points in the first set before they found the decisive break in the 10th game of the second set to advance.

#NextGenATP star Chun-hsin Tseng earned his third tour-level win of the season Monday, moving past American qualifier Nick Chappell 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos.

The 20-year-old produced a strong serving performance as he quickly found his range on debut at the ATP 250 event. Tseng of Chinese Taipei won 84 per cent (27/32) of points behind his first delivery, while he did not face a break point to advance after one hour and 31 minutes.

Tseng, who is up to No. 81 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, will next play third seed Cameron Norrie. The Briton captured the title in Mexico last season.

Earlier this season, Tseng lifted ATP Challenger Tour trophies in Bangalore and Murcia, before he made his debut at Roland Garros after coming through qualifying. The 20-year-old is currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan as he aims to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time.

In other action, Australian qualifier Max Purcell clinched his first tour-level hard-court win of the year, downing Swiss Henri Laaksonen 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in two hours and four minutes.

Purcell, who advanced to the second round on grass in Newport last month, will play #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima or qualifier Kaichi Uchida in the second round.

Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis gained revenge against Quentin Halys, advancing 7-6(1), 7-5 in one hour and 52 minutes. Berankis, who lost to Halys in Pune in January in their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting, will next take on Facundo Bagnis or Ernesto Escobedo.

Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata set a second-round meeting against World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev after Mexican wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez was forced to retire. The 21-year-old Hijikata was leading 6-3, 4-0 when the match was stopped.

#NextGenATP Briton Jack Draper has earned another shot at Top 10 star Andrey Rublev.

Three months ago, Rublev defeated Draper in a thrilling three-setter at the Mutua Madrid Open. They will meet again at the Citi Open after Draper eliminated American wild card Stefan Kozlov 7-5, 6-2 on Monday in Washington.

“I think Stefan plays a very awkward game. He’s one of the guys who really disrupts your rhythm. The first four games of the match, I found it really hard to hit the court, actually. The conditions here, it’s quite lively and you have to play with a bit more control,” Draper said in his on-court interview. “I think I adjusted pretty well and in the end it became more of a physical battle out here in these conditions.”

Draper lost the first three games of the match and almost went down a quick double break, but rallied past the home favourite in one hour and 53 minutes. The 20-year-old saved four of the five break points he faced and hit 10 aces in his victory.

The lefty is fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan and trying to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time. Entering the season, he had won two tour-level matches. The Briton has claimed eight this year alone.

It would have been nine had he found a way past Rublev in Madrid, where the favourite triumphed 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. Now the #NextGenATP shot will have another go.

For Draper, this is all part of his process. He began the year No. 265 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and is at a career-high World No. 81.

“For me, I know I’ve got the tennis,” Draper said. “It’s just about developing my physicality and being able to mentally cope with these guys as well. I think I’ve got a lot to improve still.”

There are roller-coaster matches, and then there is the clash between Mikael Ymer and Andy Murray on Monday.

After plenty of twists and turns, the Swede ultimately upset the former World No. 1 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-1 to reach the second round of the Citi Open. It was Ymer’s first match on a hard court since February.

“I’m excited,” Ymer said in his on-court interview. “It was the first day [of the U.S. swing], so obviously a lot left to do, but it’s a very good start of the American swing.”

Both men showed physical issues at different points, but the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals alumnus surged through the third set to triumph after two hours and 50 minutes.

After saving four set points in the opener and taking a 3-1 lead in the second, Ymer was in full control. Murray was left stretching his legs on several occasions and rueing missed opportunities. On each of his four set points in the first set — one at 6-5 and three more in the tie-break — he was in a winnable position in the point, but was unable to convert.

Suddenly in the middle of the second set, Ymer began misfiring and showed signs of his own physical discomfort, which gave Murray a burst of energy. The Scot won five of the final six games of the second set to capture the momentum.

After the set break, however, the 46-time tour-level titlist made a unforced forehand error to relinquish a break and was never able to dig back into the match. Ymer looked totally refreshed and despite a hiccup when serving up 4-0, he closed out his victory to set a clash against 15th seed Aslan Karatsev.

While Murray was unable to advance, Briton Kyle Edmund did. The 27-year-old earned his first ATP Tour win in 29 months when he defeated Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-4, 7-6(8).

Three left knee surgeries had kept Edmund out for 21 months. Now he will play countryman Daniel Evans for a place in the third round in Washington.

“It’s very rewarding. During the long periods where I was out – not picking up a racquet for five months – it was these events that I pictured myself being out here,” Edmund said. “It’s something that you miss, feeling the buzz, hearing the crowd, playing under pressure.

“I didn’t find it easy today. He’s a very tricky player and very energetic, but I kept telling myself I’d worked too hard to not [give my all]. I hung in there and I got my reward in the end.”

American Denis Kudla, who grew up training in nearby College Park, Maryland, rallied past countryman Michael Mmoh, a qualifier, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. J.J. Wolf was another American who moved on, a 6-2, 6-3 winner against Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel.

As he sets his sights on a second career title this week when he makes his tournament debut in Los Cabos, World No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime says that he is better prepared this year to contend for trophies.

The Canadian transitions into the summer hard court swing at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Mexico, where, as the second seed behind World No.1 Danill Medvedev, the 21-year-old will be satisfied with nothing less than the title.

Auger-Aliassime came into the season with an 0-8 record in Tour-level finals but exorcised his championship-match demons when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2 to win the ABN AMRO Open.

The Canadian credits his breakthrough title to a fresh mindset coming into the season, one that he is confident will continue to bring him success in the years ahead.

“Everytime I lost one of those finals, it was tough mentally but I thought this year I’m going to be a different player…That means I’m going to try to play a better match and when I get into those finals, I’m going to try to play better tennis,” Auger-Aliassime said.

In addition to the fresh perspective, Felix said that previous losses in finals only motivated him to push harder to reach new heights. “I really felt like I was able to put all those negative things to the side, really focus on the positive, be optimistic, and approach a match with a lot of confidence.”

In January, he broke into the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time and the following month collected his maiden title in the Netherlands. “It was a big relief for me and my team.”

Now, Canada’s top-ranked player is hungry for more success. “My goals are now even higher.” He will open up his Los Cabos debut against either John Millman or wild card and home-favourite, Alex Hernandez.

Celebrating his 22nd birthday next week in Montreal, a title in Mexico would be an early birthday present before heading to his home tournament.

Jannik Sinner’s victory at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Sunday did more than earn him a sixth ATP Tour trophy. The win also helped him surge into contention in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin.

Sinner climbed three places to 13th in the Race, putting him within 705 points of eighth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime. Eight men will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held at the Pala Alpitour from 13-20 November.

The 20-year-old competed in last year’s season finale as an alternate after fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini withdrew due to injury. Sinner will now have an opportunity to earn even more points in the coming month, with ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati as well as the US Open.

VIEW PEPPERSTONE ATP RACE TO TURIN STANDINGS

There was no movement among the Top 12 players in the Race on Monday. However, several players competing this week will have an opportunity to secure or improve their standing as the qualification battle heats up.

Daniil Medvedev is currently sixth in the Race with 2,575 points. The 26-year-old, who is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year, can climb past Alexander Zverev and into fifth by making the final at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos.

The second seed at the ATP 250 event is Auger-Aliassime, who is eighth in the Race with 2,385 points. The Canadian is trying to earn his spot at the season finale for the first time, and he will look to add to his 325-point lead over ninth-placed Taylor Fritz, who is competing at the Citi Open this week in Washington.

The top seed in the United States’ capital is Andrey Rublev, who is seventh in the Race. The 24-year-old holds just a 30-point lead over Auger-Aliassime as he seeks his third qualification for the year-end championships.

Rafael Nadal leads the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin with 5,620 points and his fellow Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, is second with 4,270 points. They are scheduled to return to compete next week at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal.