HAMBURG: World number seven Andrey Rublev saved three match points before defeating Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles at the Hamburg Open.
The second-seeded Rublev, fresh from lifting the Bastad title at the weekend, came through 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) against his 54th-ranked opponent. Rublev rallied from 4/6 in the third-set tie-break and saved his third match point at 6/7 with a blistering forehand winner. “I was playing well and it was under control, but somehow I lost the first set and was frustrated,” said Rublev.
“I came back and recovered mentally and won a really good second set.
The third set was tough. I started to get tired and nervous, because the score is going to the tie-break and I didn’t have many chances to break him. “When I went 0/3, I started to stress a lot. But then I played two amazing rallies and told myself to keep fighting, keep fighting.” Rublev next faces either Yannick Hanfmann or Zhang Zhizhen in the second round. Top seed and fourth-ranked Casper Ruud bounced back from his Bastad final defeat to Rublev to defeat Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. It was the Norwegian’s 21st tour-level clay-court win of the season.
“It was really tough,” Ruud said. “Sebastian is a great fighter. He has taken big steps in the past year, so it was always going to be a tough challenge.” – AFP
