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Dubai Duty Free Tennis: Rublev lost for words after stunning fightback

The 25-year-old Russian was staring at five match points with Davidovich Fokina leading by a set and 6-1 in the tie-breaker

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Andrey Rublev of Russia celebrates after winning the dramatic match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in Dubai. M.Sajjad/Khaleej Times

By Joy Chakravarty

Published: Wed 1 Mar 2023, 8:24 PM

Last updated: Wed 1 Mar 2023, 8:25 PM

If they ever make a tennis version of Escape to Victory, Andrey Rublev would be a shoo-in for the lead role.

For the third time in just two months this year, the Russian got dragged to the edge of a deep precipice, and then somehow managed to push his rival down instead.

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In Wednesday’s second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, it was the turn of the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to marvel at the defending champion’s Houdini act.

The 25-year-old Muscovite was staring at five match points with Davidovich Fokina leading by a set and 6-1 in the tie-breaker.

Quite incredibly, Rublev turned it around, and then won the third set with yet another tie-breaker to advance to the quarter-finals with a 1-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3) win that never looked possible until the fat lady sang.

The world No6 will next face Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, who also needed a three-setter to beat Sweden’s Mikael Ymer, winning the last two sets 6-3 after losing the first by the same score.

At the Australian Open in the Round of 16 this year against the uber-talented Holger Rune, Rublev was 5-2 down in the fifth set, then down two match points, and then down 5-0 in the super tie-break.

In Doha last week, playing as the top seed, Rublev trailed 5-2 in the third set and saved three match points to beat Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.

You see… Rublev may be down, but he is never out.

Understandably, the 12-time champion on ATP Tour was visibly chipper despite his two hours 25 minutes nerve-racking duel.

“This has already happened for the third match this season. I have no words. These matches, when they are over and somehow you win them, they are always special. I have no words to describe how I am feeling,” said Rublev.

“You feel super tight and emotional because you have almost lost, and somehow you win it. When it is happening for a third time, you think there is no chance now. It is impossible. It’s all over for sure.

“I don’t even have any emotions now because in my mind, the match was done.

"When it happens once, you hope you will be lucky that day and will make it through. But when you’re three times lucky, almost in your last three tournaments, it’s like, ‘How many more Christmas presents can I get?’.

One of the reasons Rublev though he struggled in the match was because he played his first match in the evening, and Wednesday’s match was in much hotter conditions at 2pm, which made the ball and court play faster.

“I guess today was a bit tougher in my case because I played my first match at 7pm. It’s completely different conditions. It’s much slower. Today we start at 2pm,” said Rublev, who hit 12 aces, but struggled in his return games.

“I think Alejandro, he played his last match during the day, so he more or less knew these conditions. As soon as we started, everything was double faster. You touch the ball, it was flying. Then, with time, I started to feel better on the court.

“Yeah, and then, I was lucky.”

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Joy Chakravarty

Published: Wed 1 Mar 2023, 8:24 PM

Last updated: Wed 1 Mar 2023, 8:25 PM

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