Andrey Rublev says he has nothing to lose at the Dubai Tennis Championships after admitting that he finds the conditions at the tournament difficult.
The world No.8 is the second seed this week behind Dominic Thiem. Rublev has won 20 consecutive matches in ATP 500 events which has earned him four titles, including the Rotterdam Open this year. To put that into perspective since 2009 only Andy Murray (21) and Roger Federer (28) have won more.
Although Rublev is not confident that he can keep his winning run going in Dubai. Held at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre the tournament has been a regular fixture on the men’s calendar since 1993 with Roger Federer winning the title a record eight times. This year is the Russian’s third appearance in the tournament with his best run being to the quarter-finals last year.
“I’m happy to be back but it’s always tough conditions for me in Dubai,” Rublev told reporters. “The balls fly much more, and with my style of game, it’s not so easy to play. I will see what happens and it will be a great challenge for me to see if I can find other ways to win matches. I have nothing to lose and I will try to do my best.”
Despite his reservations, the 23-year-old remains one of the top title contenders given his credentials on the Tour. Since the start of last year he has won six ATP titles and reached the quarter-finals at three consecutive majors. His win-loss record for the season currently stands at 13-2 with his two losses being against Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open and Roberto Bautista Agut in Doha.
“I focus more on myself, to accept the things I cannot change and do the best I can on the things I can change,” Rublev commented on the challenges of playing during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’m far from perfect but this is the direction I’m moving in and this is what I’m trying to keep in my mind. In the end, this is what helps me to improve my mentality and that is how I have seen improvements.
“On top of that I’m still working hard to do my best in practice. I try to work on the things I need to improve that will help bring better results and I can already see some of the things that are better this season compared to last season. I want to keep going like this, I want to achieve my limits, and we will see what happens.”
In the opening match Rublev will play Finnish qualifier Emil Ruusuvuori who defeated Jordan Thompson in his first round match. The 21-year-old is currently ranked 87th in the world with his best ever performance on the ATP Tour being a run to the semi-finals of the Nur-Sultan Open last October.
Rublev will start his campaign in Dubai on Tuesday.
