Climbing to the semi-finals with a coup – Sport – Kommersant

In Turin, at the final tournament of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) with a prize fund of $ 14.75 million, all participants in today’s semi-finals were determined. One of them was Russian Andrei Rublev, who outplayed Stefanos Tsitsipas in three games, took second place in the most difficult Red group and will now face the winner of the Green group Norwegian Kasper Ruud. Kommersant correspondent Yevgeny Fedyakov watched how Andrei Rublev overcame himself and broke the resistance of a classy opponent under the roof of the Pala Alpitour arena.

There are fourteen seats in two small sectors next to the court, intended for coaches and support groups of participants in the Nitto ATP Finals. But they are filled in different ways. For example, in the boxes of the Norwegian Kasper Ruud and Novak Djokovic, who made it to the playoffs even a round before the end of the preliminary stage, there have never been any empty seats. The representative team was brought to Turin by the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. But in Andrei Rublev’s boxing on Friday evening, only two Spaniards sat for the second match in a row – his coach Fernando Vicente and physiotherapist Mark Boada. The Russian himself, however, argues that one should not look for some hidden subtext in this. It just so happened – after two previous attempts to reach the playoffs, which turned out to be unsuccessful, this time Rublev finished second in a very strong group, where all tennis players, except for him, had already won the final tournament at least once.

Vicente from the side gives the impression of a rather reserved person. In addition, having worked with Rublev for many years, he has well studied when his ward needs verbal support. “Bravo, Andrei,” Vicente exclaimed in the second game of the third set, when the score on Rublev’s serve became 15:0. By that time the match was entering its decisive stage. In the course of the first set, Tsitsipas had a noticeable advantage both in tempo shootouts and at the net. In five games, he gave only two points on his serve and once took the serve of Rublev, who made two double faults in the fourth game and soon lost seven points in a row. However, the second game went differently. Unlike the previous meeting with Novak Djokovic, after which Rublev criticized himself for his intemperate behavior, he managed to show a firm, masculine character. It cannot be said that the picture of the game has changed dramatically, but Tsitsipas was gradually losing its thread. He moved forward much less often and acted a little softer overall. After the end of the match, the Kommersant correspondent will ask the Russian what exactly he had to change along the way. “Racket,” Rublev answered, laughing. “And it somehow became easier to hit right away, so most of the rallies were already led by me.” And the public intervened in the matter, which, wanting to continue the struggle, in the end of the game provided the Russian with almost domestic support. In the end, Rublev took Tsitsipas’ serve in the eighth game, and confidently kept his own in the ninth.

In the third game of the decisive game, Tsitsipas did something that his opponent did not allow himself that day – he gave vent to his nerves and launched the ball into a billboard that stood in front of the tennis player’s box, where his father Apostolos and a two-time Grand Slam finalist were sitting in the front row 46-year-old Australian of Greek origin, Mark Philippoussis, who was attracted by the Tsitsipas family to work together. And Rublev decided to strike while the iron was hot – he immediately made one break, and in the seventh game – another. He had only to close the match on his serve, which happened. Having lost this season to Tsitsipas in Madrid and Astana in three games, Rublev, like a year ago, defeated him in the group stage of the final tournament, only not in two games, but in three, turning the game around with an effort of will – 3:6, 6: 3:6:2 for 1 hour 42 minutes.

“It’s a shame. I felt like a better player. I felt that I could do more with the ball today than he did. I felt that I could be more creative. I don’t even have to say it now, I think it’s quite obvious. But he prevailed with the help of several game elements that he could really use, ”commented the match, Tsitsipas, who came to the press center instantly – before several journalists gathered there. Rublev did not agree with this interpretation.

“I don’t know what elements he has in mind, or if I have any at all. In the exchanges on the back line, he has a better forehand and backhand. In addition, he is faster, and it is no coincidence that he is higher in the rankings, because he has achieved great results. There is no doubt about it, but I don’t think it’s a matter of several elements. When we meet, almost every time a tough battle unfolds, ”answered Rublev half an hour later, who was told the opponent’s quote.

Apparently, in the Saturday evening semi-final, the Russian cannot avoid tough trials either. After all, there his opponent will be the finalist of Roland Garros and this year’s US Open, Kasper Ruud, who exactly a year ago, right here in Turin, beat Rublev in the decisive match for reaching the semi-finals in the tie-break of the third game. “I will try to make the most of the little time that I have at my disposal. And give everything to the end tomorrow, ”the Russian promised, who, after the end of the press conference, which began at midnight, had about 21 hours to prepare for the match. However, not only Rublev, but also Novak Djokovic, who, in the other semi-final, will face American Taylor Fritz, who was resting on Friday, may face the problem of recovery today. The fact is that in order to win in his third match in the tournament, which already meant nothing from the point of view of the tournament struggle, the Serb, having spent a lot of strength, defeated Daniil Medvedev in only 3 hours 11 minutes – 6:3, 6:7 (5:7) , 7:6 (7:6). Thus, the Russian finished the tournament with unique statistics. He suffered all three defeats in tie-breaks in decisive games, and in total, having played nine sets, he had six tie-breaks. Moreover, Medvedev, as on Wednesday in a duel with Tsitsipas, again failed to apply for the match. “What positive will you take for yourself from this meeting?” the journalists asked the Russian. “Nothing,” came the self-critical reply of Medvedev, distressed but worthy of this failure.

Djokovic allowed himself to smile. “Now the guy who is talking to you is not as fresh as I felt yesterday,” Djokovic said. “But I am proud that I was able to win. Every win against big players like Medvedev has a positive effect on your confidence. Now I will try to do everything I can today with my physical therapist and team to recover properly. I know what it takes. In my life there were many cases when I was able to recover very quickly. I hope that this will be the case now.”