Andrey Rublev was victorious in Monday’s all-Russian clash with Daniil Medvedev at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.
After disappointing exits in his previous efforts at the ATP Finals, sixth-seed Rublev signalled his intention to go all the way this time, in what was one of his finest performances of the year at the Pala Alpitour.
The 25-year-old showcased his robust power game to squeeze past the fourth-seeded Medvedev.
The score, when all was said and done, saw Rublev triumph 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(7) after finally scoring the match-winner of what was his fifth match point in their Red Group showdown.
And true to form, he had to overcome adversity to do so. Rublev allowed seven set points to evade him in what proved to be a nervy first set, including a 6-2 lead in the tiebreak, to hand the first set – and the ascendancy – to Medvedev.
Rublev came to life, though, in the second and third frames, firing 25 winning points past Medvedev, many of which were shot as if from a cannon from his fearsome forehand.
The conclusion was about as dramatic as high-level tennis can get, and saw Rublev claim the win after a gargantuan 37-shot rally in what was his fifth match point in the final set tie-break.
Rublev must now also play the winner of the Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas match in the Red Group, which has been dubbed the ‘Group of Death’.
Djokovic and Tsitsipas play each other later on Monday, with Medvedev to play the loser.
The win represents a return to form for Rublev after recent early exits from events in Vienna and Paris, which came after he previously won four tour-level events earlier in the year.