Four-time Grand Slam quarter finalist Andrey Rublev eased through to the second round with a 6-3 6-2 6-2 win over Gianluca Mager with 31 winners to 13 unforced errors after 1 hours and 24 minutes at the Australian Open on Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne.
Rublev, who reached the quarter final at the Australian Open in 2021, broke seven times and never trailed in any of the three sets. He hit 13 aces and won 81% of his first serve points. Mager hit 10 aces but he made 37 unforced errors.
Rublev earned his first break in the third game of the opening set. Mager broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Rublev earned two consecutive breaks in the seventh and ninth games to close the first set 6-3. Rublev went up a double break in the sixth and eighth games to take a 4-2 lead in the second set.
Mager earned two break points in the first game of the third set, but Rublev saved them with two big serves. Rublev broke in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Mager earned a break-back point in the next game, but Rublev saved it at deuce before closing out the third set with a double break in the eighth game.
Rublev was forced to miss the ATP Cup as he was tested positive to Covid-19. The Russian player will face either Ricardas Berankis or Roberto Carballes Baena.
“Of course I would have preferred to play the ATP Cup, to feel already these emotions, the nerves during the match, to feel this winning feeling. Of course it’s not easy when you are not playing for a couple of weeks and go straight into one of the best tournaments. You feel a bit double pressure because you don’t know how it’s going to be, but this is life. You cannot control it”, said Rublev.
