Rublev Reigns Supreme in Madrid

Andrey Rublev is the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open champion after coming from a set all the way down to defeat Felix-Auger Aliassime 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in 2 hours and 48 minutes.

The win provides Rublev his second Masters 1000 title, and he’s one in every of solely 5 energetic gamers to have received a number of Masters 1000 titles on clay, with Nadal, Djokovic, Zverev, and Murray additionally within the membership.

In what was a last between two unlikely candidates at first of the match, Rublev, who entered Madrid on a four-match dropping streak, ran away the deserved winner after overcoming a shaky begin.

Apparently, he acknowledged after the match that he’d been struck with a fever all week, had barely slept, and was tremendous grateful to the medical workers for getting him ready to play.

Regardless of that, he dug deep and was the extra tenacious participant, creating extra possibilities all through three units to get the job finished.

Madrid Open 2024 Day 12 Last Outcome

Ideas on the Last

Heading into the ultimate, I made Rublev the strong favorite, given Auger-Aliassime just about had a bye to the ultimate. Somebody even commented on the Perfect Tennis Facebook page that his run to the ultimate was like Kim Jong Un taking part in a tennis match in North Korea 😁

Nevertheless, Rublev began his first service recreation with back-to-back double faults and was damaged instantly. He appeared devoid of vitality and even propped himself up with the racket when keeling over after a lengthy-ish rally. It’s secure to say it didn’t look good.

Felix consolidated and was quickly up a double break at 4-1. However from there, issues began to get nearer. Rublev broke again, and after saving a set level at 4-5, he had a break probability to get again on degree phrases. Auger-Aliassime saved it and took the set 6-4, however Rublev had equalised the taking part in degree.

Within the second set, Rublev began to take pleasure in a whole lot of success behind his first serve, with Auger-Aliassime struggling to do a lot on the return,

The Russian received 80% of the factors behind it, in comparison with 62% within the first set, and didn’t face a single break earlier than seizing his probability to interrupt Auger-Aliassime within the set’s last recreation to degree.

The decisive third set noticed Rublev proceed to dominate together with his first serve, securing 93% of the factors behind it.

He performed aggressively, significantly together with his forehand, and maintained composure in extended rallies. In distinction, Aliassime, who acquired a number of visits from the physio for a thigh/hamstring difficulty, needed to depend on clutch serving to keep up parity. He saved two break factors at 1-1 and 2-2 earlier than erasing one other at 4-4 to frustrate the seventh seed.

Nevertheless, with Rublev holding rapidly, issues lastly caught up with Felix, and his resistance ended within the twelve-game as he fired down a double fault at 30-40 handy Rublev the title, extending his result in 5-1 of their head-to-head matchups.

I’ve no phrases. When you knew what I had been via previously 9 days you wouldn’t think about that I’d have the ability to win a title. I’m extremely completely satisfied. That one week modified every thing as a result of now it appears to be like like I used to be not dropping the final weeks within the first spherical! I’ve to present full credit score to the docs. They had been doing a little tough issues and I used to be in a position to a minimum of have the ability to play.” Rublev on coping with sickness to land the title in Madrid.

Match Stats

Highlights

What did you guys make of the ultimate? Let me know within the feedback.