Rescue of the chasing one – Newspaper Kommersant No. 12 (7457) dated 01/24/2023
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Two Russians will take part in the men’s quarterfinals of the Australian Open, which continues in Melbourne. Following Karen Khachanov, this stage was reached by Andrey Rublev, who saved the hardest fifth set of the meeting with the tenth racket of the world Dane Holger Rune, losing 2:5, having won back two match points at a score of 5:6 and falling behind in a tie-break 0:5. For reaching the semi-finals, Rublev will compete with the main favorite of the tournament, its nine-time champion Serb Novak Djokovic.
The match of the 1/8 finals of the Australian Open between Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune, an original talent who, in terms of expression, perhaps surpasses even his peer, the world ranking leader Carlos Alcaraz, was a confrontation of almost equal rivals. The difference between them, by and large, manifested itself only at the most decisive moment and was not in the ability to hit the ball, but in experience, which, of course, the 25-year-old Russian had noticeably more. His 19-year-old opponent, who broke through from the second hundred to the top ten only last year, has not yet had time to really mate. Otherwise, Rublev, already a mature and repeatedly beaten master in the prime of life, would hardly have been able to save the meeting, in the end of which Rune, as it seemed three times, had already managed to achieve a decisive advantage.
For the first time, a few steps away from the fiasco in the fifth installment, the Russian ended up with a score of 2:5.
However, Rune, feeling the proximity of the desired success, could not cope with his nerves, and out of the next thirteen points he won only one. The second critical situation arose in the twelfth game on Rublev’s serve. The opponent earned two match points, which they managed to win back in short draws. Rune missed his third chance, leading 5-0 in a super tie-break, which is played up to ten points in the fifth set. Rublev in those moments acted almost unerringly, while the Dane was again let down by psychology. Well, the climax came at the very end. On his second match point, Rublev played a great combination, forced Rune into a deep defense, but unsuccessfully executed a blow that should have been the last, and received an irresistible response. However, the third match point still rewarded the Russian for perseverance and stubbornness. The ball, after hitting it from the back line, touched the cable and barely rolled over to the other half of the court. It would have been impossible to get it even if the place of the Dane, who, by the way, has very fast legs, was the world record holder in the hundred-meter race Usain Bolt.
“I have never been able to win such matches in my life, and I am trembling with happiness,” said Rublev.
This victory will surely add whists to his reputation. Stopping Rune, a very strong tennis player who is working for perhaps the most popular coach in the world, Patrick Muratoglu, and even in such a crazy fight, is a valuable achievement in itself. By the way, it will allow the Russian to return to the fifth place in the world ranking, the highest for his career (he has not very good chances to rise higher next Monday), and also to reach the quarterfinal stage at the Grand Slam tournaments for the seventh time. According to this indicator, Rublev was ahead of Daniil Medvedev, who has six such quarterfinals.
Such stability is a sign of high skill, but the question is that Rublev could not move further along the Major bracket. In the fight for reaching the semi-finals, he twice lost to the same Medvedev, once each to Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Marin Cilic and Francis Tiafoe. And now he is waiting for the most difficult test – the battle with the main favorite of the current Australian Open, its nine-time champion Novak Djokovic, who played his easiest match at this tournament, sorting out the Australian Alex De Minor in about two hours.
There is no doubt about Rublev’s ability to beat the famous opponent. In the spring of last year, he beat Djokovic, and not just anywhere, but in the final of the Serb’s home tournament in Belgrade.
However, in Melbourne, you need to win a match of five sets, which Djokovic, who knows how to correctly distribute forces over a long distance, is more likely to benefit. Theoretically, Rublev can be helped by the problem with the left hip, which has been haunting the Serb for two and a half weeks, although on Monday he did not experience any difficulties. Of course, it is also not necessary to expect from the nervous system of Djokovic the same swings that Rune had. So the Russian needs to rely only on himself.
The good news for Rublev, as well as for Djokovic, is that in another, purely American quarter-final, the 35th and 89th rackets of the world, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton, will meet in the lower half of the bracket. And no matter how their match ends, the alignment of forces in the semi-final is already obvious.
Fourth round Australian Open
Men. Andrey Rublev (Russia, 5) – Holger Rune (Denmark, 9) 6:3, 3:6, 6:3, 4:6, 7:6 (11:9). Ben Shelton (USA) – Jeffrey John Wolfe (USA) 6:7 (5:7), 6:2, 6:7 (4:7), 7:6 (7:4), 6:2. Tommy Paul (USA) – Roberto Bautista-Agut (Spain, 24) 6:2, 4:6, 6:2, 7:5. Novak Djokovic (Serbia, 4) – Alex De Minor (Australia, 22) 6:2, 6:1, 6:2.
1/4 finals. 24.01: Karen Khachanov (Russia, 18) – Sebastian Korda (USA, 29), Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece, 3) – Jiri Legechka (Czech Republic). 25.01: Rublev—Djokovic, Shelton-Paul.
Women. Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic, 30) – Zhang Shuai (China, 23) 6:0, 6:4. Magda Linette (Poland) – Caroline Garcia (France, 4) 7:6 (7:3), 6:4. Arina Sobolenko (Belarus, 5) – Belinda Bencic (Switzerland, 12) 7:5, 6:2. Donna Vekic (Croatia) – Linda Fugritova (Czech Republic) 6:2, 1:6, 6:3.
1/4 finals. 24.01: Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan, 22) – Elena Ostapenko (Latvia, 17), Jessica Pegula (USA, 3) – Victoria Azarenka (Belarus, 24). 25.01: Pliskova-Lynette, Sobolenko-Vekic.
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