Rublev sends brave "peace" message after all-Russian match at ATP Finals
ATP
Andrey Rublev used his platform to call for peace after an all-Russian match at the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin.
Russia is one of the most successful nations in the world of sports. It's not a surprise that it applies to tennis as well. Two players from the country qualified for the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin, and they met in their first match of the round-robin stage.
On Sunday, Casper Ruud beat Felix Auger-Aliassime before Rafael Nadal lost to Taylor Fritz. On Monday, a match between Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev kicked off the action.
The two are good friends, but on the court, they were rivals. Fans in Turin were certainly happy about the match, as they delivered a three-set battle that was decided only by a tie-break.
Medvedev won the first set in a tie-break, even though Rublev had seven match points. Rublev then won the second set 6-3, and he was able to win the third set in the tie-break to win the match 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(7) and after the match.
It's customary that after a match, the winner gets to sign the camera lens. Players often write funny messages or address their friends, but Rublev now used it to call for peace amid the War in Ukraine: "Peace, Peace, Peace, All we need."
Once it was shown on the big screen, the Russian got an ovation from the crowd for his gesture. Following the match, he also spoke about his performance, which he was naturally happy about.
"I was thinking about the US Open, because when we played in the quarter-finals in 2020, I think I was 5/1 in a tie-break, also something like 6/2, but I was leading something similar in a tie-break."
"But when I lost that set, I couldn’t play anymore, and I was thinking it cannot happen the same [again], I have to change something. I have to keep playing, because if I win one set, even if I lose in three sets, it’s still good, because here you have a group. So you have to fight for every point, every game, and I was able to win."
