Andrey Rublev is into the last eight of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam after beating Andy Murray in straight sets 7-5, 6-2. The world number 8 fired 24 winners in the match while Murray hit 20 unforced errors.
Both players did a good job holding their opening service games and there were some amazing rallies to indicate that a was battle beckoning. The Scott got the first breakpoint of the match at 3-2 but it was quickly saved by the number 3 seed and he managed to hold serve.
It wasn’t until 5-5 when Murray seemed to crack in his service game and after giving up a breakpoint served a double fault to give the Russian the 6-5 lead. Rublev would serve out the first set to take it 7-5.
Winning the first set gave the world No.8 the momentum early in the second set and at 2-2 he earned two breakpoints off a unforced error from the world number 123. Breaking with a stunning forehand winner to take a 3-2 lead.
After securing the break and holding serve he continued to attack and pressure the Murray serve. Once again the Murray serve cracked and he double faulted again to give the Russian a 5-2 lead. Rublev would serve out the match in style and finished with his trademark forehand cross-court to seal the victory.
“It was a really tough match, I mean we had a lot of rallies, like I said before with Andy I cannot rush, I cannot play my usual style of play, he’s hitting every single ball so I need to slow down,” Said Rublev.
“I need to mix (my shots) because Andy is really great at defense and he make you play tough balls that is not easy to attack. He is waiting for the moment for you to rush and in my case I needed to slow down and to wait for the right ball to play rallies and than when you have the right ball to play aggressive and take a lead.”
He will next play the winner of Jeremy Chardy vs and David Goffin in the quarter-finals.
A day of upsets
It was not a good day to be a seeded player in Rotterdam as three top names crashed out of the tournament. The top seed Daniil Medvedev was sent packing by Dusan Lajovic in straight sets 7-5,6-4, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat the number 5 seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2,7-6, while Alexander Zverev was stunned by Alexander Bublik 7-5,6-3.
Elsewhere David Goffin beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4,6-0, Tommy Paul beat Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-6, and Kei Nishikori kept his run going by beating Alex De Minaur in three sets 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
