Rublev saves match points and beats Rune after super lucky net cord bounce on match point

Monday, 23 January 2023 at 08:48

byZachary Wimer

Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune were two of the five highest-seeded players left in the ATP draw at the 2023 Australian Open, and one of them had to lose already in the fourth round.

Both players showed that they should be in any talks about possible favourites of the event, as Rune didn't lose any set before the fourth round match, while Rublev lost only one set to Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round. The two met once before, when the young Dane beat the Russian on the way to his first ATP 1000 title in Paris last year.

The first set was full of break points. Both players had four chances to break their opponent, but since Rublev was more successful, he was also the one who won the set 6-3 in 38 minutes after hitting 11 winners in the set.

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Rublev was even more successful in hitting winners in the second set as he hit 12 and made only four unforced errors. However, that was still not enough to beat the young Dane, who didn't allow his opponent to get a break and won the second set 6-3.

Both players showed their serving qualities in the third set, but Rune's performance was overshadowed by his missing. He hit only three winners while making 15 unforced errors and Rublev didn't need many break points to win the second set comfortably 6-3.

The teenager needed to win the fourth set if he wanted to stay in the match, and he succeeded in doing that. Despite being broken when serving for the set, Rune immediately broke back and won the fourth set 6-4 to force a decider.

The Dane was leading already 5-2 in the fifth set when Rublev stopped missing. The Russian won 12 out of the 13 points and leveled the score at 5-5. Rune then had two match points in the twelfth game, but as he couldn't use them, a super tie-break had to decide the match.

Rune flew into it with a few precise shots and soon he enjoyed a comfortable 5-0 lead. But that wasn't enough against Rublev. The world no. 6 kept fighting and turned the score around to lead 9-7 and this time, he was the player that had two match points.

The teenager could produce a solid first serve to save the first one and a sensational backhand down the line in an 18-shot rally to save also the other one.

But Rublev created another match point and this time, a very lucky net cord bounce helped him to clinch the win in three hours and 38 minutes, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(9)

In the next round, he will meet the winner of the match between the 21-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic, and the 22nd-seeded home player Alex de Minaur.