World number 8 and this year’s ATP Cup champion Andrey Rublev booked his spot in the quarter final at the Australian Open without dropping a set.
Rublev was leading 6-2 7-6 (7-3) before Norwegian player withdrew from the match with an abdominal injury.
Ruud was not able to create a break point in the first set. Rublev converted two of his six break points in the first and seventh games.
Ruud needed a medical time-out in the second set due to an abdominal injury. Rublev went up a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Ruud reeled off four consecutive games with two consecutive breaks to open up a 5-3 lead. Rublev broke back at love to draw level to 5-5. The next games went on serve en route to the tie-break. Rublev earned three mini-breaks to race out to a 7-3 win in the tie-break, before Ruud retired from the match sending Rublev into the quarter final.
Rublev set up an all Russian blockbuster quarter final clash against Danil Medvedev.
Rublev and Medvedev have been undefeated this year and led Russia to the ATP Cup triumph in Melbourne.
Medvedev leads 3-0 in his head-to-head matches against Rublev after winning their thee previous matches in Cincinnati quarter final in 2019, in St. Petersburg quarter final in 2019 and in the US Open quarter final in 2020.
For the first time in the Open Era three Russian players have qualified for the quarter final in the same Grand Slam tournament. Yesterday qualifier Aslan Karatsev came back from two sets down to beat Felix Auger Aliassime 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-3 6-4 becoming the first Grand Slam debutant to reach the quarter final since Alex Radulescu at 1996 Wimbledon. Earlier this tournament Karatsev upset Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-3 6-3.
“At least one of Russian players will be in the semifinals. At least that’s the good news. It’s going to be a tough match. The last time Medvedev beat me in the quarter finals in in the US Open. Now we are again in quarters in the Australian Open. So we’ll see what’s going to happen. I hope we can show a great fight and great level”, said Rublev.
