Rublev Remains Unbeaten In 2021, Next Faces Ruud

  • Posted: Feb 13, 2021

Andrey Rublev completed a flawless first week at the Australian Open on Saturday, as he defeated Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the Round of 16 in Melbourne.

The seventh seed ripped 33 winners, including five on his return, to advance after one hour and 32 minutes. Rublev is yet to lose a set at Melbourne Park this year. The Russian has dropped 34 games en route to his second straight appearance in the Round of 16.

“I have known Feliciano for a long time. We have practised a lot and we are good friends,” said Rublev, in an on-court interview. “I knew it was going to be a tough match because of the way he is playing. He has an amazing serve, an amazing slice and volley, so I knew he was not going to give me rhythm.”

Rublev extends his unbeaten start to this year to 7-0. The 23-year-old opened his 2021 campaign with four wins en route to the ATP Cup title.

Rublev joins ATP Cup teammates Daniil Medvedev and Aslan Karatsev in the fourth round. This is the first Grand Slam to feature three Russian men in the Round of 16 since 2007 Roland Garros (Andreev, Davydenko, Youzhny).

Lopez started the match strong on serve, which frustrated Rublev as he failed to convert his first three break points at 3-2 in the first set. The Russian found himself under pressure in his next service game, but escaped danger with strong serving and aggressive play from the baseline.

Rublev found a way past Lopez’s net-rushing tactics to take the first set with a late service break and he charged to victory from that point. Through the second and third sets, Rublev faced just one break point and earned three service breaks to clinch victory. The seven-time ATP Tour titlist closed the match with a love service hold, as Lopez fired a backhand return beyond the baseline.

“The first set was [a] really nervous [one]. I had a couple of chances and he had a couple of chances but, in the end, I made it,” said Rublev. “After the first set, I started to feel a little bit better and I think he was a little bit more down because he had tough matches in the first two rounds. He was maybe a bit more tired and I felt confident. I was playing better and better.”

Rublev will attempt to reach his maiden Australian Open quarter-final on Monday when he meets 24th seed Casper Ruud — for the third time in their ATP Head2Head rivalry (Rublev leads 2-0) — in the Round of 16. The 22-year-old reached the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory against Radu Albot.

“It is going to be really tough [against Ruud]. Casper is a really great player,” said Rublev. “We played a couple of times and it was always a great match, with great intensity. He is in great shape, he won really great matches, so we will see what is going to happen. I need to prepare mentally and physically, there are going to be long rallies and it is going to be high intensity.”

Ruud has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough since the ATP Tour’s resumption last year. The Norwegian reached back-to-back Grand Slam third rounds at the US Open and Roland Garros, and toppled the likes of Karen Khachanov and Matteo Berrettini at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on his way to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.

Casper Ruud

Ruud continued breaking new ground in the new year, recording his best Australian Open result with victories over Jordan Thompson and Tommy Paul to reach the third round.

Taking on Albot in their second career clash, the Norwegian cruised in the opening set, but faced strong resistance from his Moldovan opponent as he battled back to take the second set. Ruud recovered to take it in four after nearly three hours on court, finishing the match with 45 winners and nine aces.

Ruud’s victory marks a major milestone for Norwegian tennis. The 2020 Buenos Aires champion is now the second player from Norway to reach this stage at a Grand Slam, following in the footsteps of his father, Christian Ruud, who achieved the same feat at the 1997 Australian Open.

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