Andrey Rublev won the Madrid Open with a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday to secure his second title of the year, despite battling with illness.
The Russian world number eight said he was “almost dead every day” and could barely sleep this week after securing a career second Masters 1000 victory.
Rublev had lost four consecutive matches before arriving in the Spanish capital, but came from a set down to beat his Canadian opponent.
After triumphing at the Hong Kong Open in January, the 26-year-old faced struggles until his form turned around in Madrid, where he dropped just one set on the way to what proved to be a tense final.
“I think it was an incredible match, Felix deserved to win just as much as I did today, and together we showcased a great battle. I think the most important thing was that people enjoyed it,” said Rublev on court
“Our sport is like this, we cannot both be winners.”
Rublev, who takes the Madrid crown from double champion Carlos Alcaraz, whom he beat in the quarter-finals, said he had played despite feeling ill at times this week and hailed his doctors for helping him through.
“If you knew what I had been through in the past nine days, you wouldn’t belive that I would be able to win a title,” he added.
“I was almost dead every day, unable to sleep at night — for the last three or four days, I barely slept.”
Auger-Aliassime advanced to the final after his opponent Jiri Lehecka retired due to injury in the semi-finals, and his quarter-final opponent Jannik Sinner withdrew with a hip injury, leaving the ATP draw at the clay-court tournament struck by misfortune.
However the 23-year-old Canadian, ranked 35th in the world, gave his all in his first Masters 1000 final appearance.
Tense battle
Auger-Aliassime began the match impressively by securing a love break in the opening game, followed by another break in the fifth game, granting him a commanding 4-1 lead.
Rublev managed to regain ground after Auger-Aliassime’s unforced error, narrowing the gap to 4-3.
Despite facing a set point at 5-4 down, Rublev held his nerve to level the score, but Auger-Aliassime capitalized on his second chance, closing out the set with a powerful forehand down the line.
In the second set, Auger-Aliassime demonstrated his skill with a stunning drop shot to maintain parity at 3-3, thwarting Rublev’s break point opportunity.
The match remained tightly contested until the 12th game, where Rublev capitalized on his chances, converting two set points to force a decisive third set.
Rublev dominated his service games, applying immense pressure on Auger-Aliassime’s serve, creating multiple break point opportunities that went unconverted.
Auger-Aliassime showcased his resilience, unleashing a barrage of powerful serves, tallying 14 aces compared to Rublev’s seven.
Despite Rublev’s stronghold in the third set, Auger-Aliassime fought valiantly in every service game, refusing to concede until the pivotal 12th game.
In a moment of pressure, Auger-Aliassime’s double-fault gifted Rublev the title, prompting the Russian to collapse to the ground in jubilation.
With AFP
