‘Lucky’ Andrey Rublev wins five-set epic to make Australian Open quarters | Tennis News



MELBOURNE: Fifth seed who never says die Andrei Rublev admitted on Monday he had been ‘lucky’ after saving two match points to knock down a Danish teenager Holger Rune in a five-set roller coaster and reserve a spot in the australian open quarter-finals.
In a battle between two former world junior number ones, the Russian broke as Rune served for the match, then saved match points before winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7 -6 (11/9) in oppressive heat at Arena Rod Laver.
He will face nine-time champion Novak Djokovic for a place in the semi-finals after the Serbian fourth seed crushed Australia. Alex de Minaure in straight series.
“Today was mentally out of control, I was struggling a lot,” Rublev said.
“Yeah, I was lucky. I don’t know if it was a gift. Especially from 5-2 (down to fifth) I was able to win somehow I started to think it was over.
“Now I can go to the casino, for sure I will win,” he added with a laugh.
The win put the 25-year-old into the Melbourne quarter-finals for the second time and the last eight for a seventh Grand Slam.
Despite being world number six, Rublev, who has won 13 ATP titles, could never go further.
He described beating Rune as “not like a roller coaster, it’s like they put a gun to your head. Roller coasters are easier.”
“I think I’ve never been able to win games like this,” he said.
With both players less than clinical on serve, Rublev broke the Dane with a forehand winner to take a 4-2 hold in the opening set.
But Rune’s returns helped create chances and he immediately fell back when Rublev played into the net from the baseline.
A double fault from Rune immediately restored the lead to his opponent, and this time Rublev made no mistakes serving the set in 37 minutes.
Undaunted, Rune hung on in a 12-minute rocking opener in the second set and turned the tables to break Rublev for a 3-1 lead, which he never relinquished.
As the sun went down, Rublev surged in game six of the following set, opening up three break point opportunities and making the most of it.
Two sets to one, Rune called a trainer for what appeared to be a blood pressure test. Unfazed, he got back to work and broke for 4-2 and took it to a fifth.
In a battle of attrition, Rune crushed Rublev to make it 5-2 in the decider, but he failed to serve for the match.
Rublev then saved two match points to take it to a 10-point tiebreaker, where he bounced back 7-3 for a gutsy victory.
“This one hurts a lot,” said a disappointed Rune. “It was super tight. I had my chances. He played well.



malek

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