Russian tennis player brought Rublev to hysterics in five minutes. And won a cool tournament

The hopes of Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev’s fans for his triumph in the Montreal Masters final were replaced by bitter disappointment. Not only was the favorite unable to do anything against another Russian tennis player Alexei Popyrin, but he also spent a lot of nerves.

Russian final in Montreal

The decisive match of the Canadian Masters could have been a big step forward in Rublev’s return to the fight for high positions in the ATP rankings. The emotional Russian player “covered up” even the best tennis player on the planet Yannick Siner on his way to the final.

In the final game, Andrey was considered a clear favorite. He was up against Australian Alexei Popyrin, who was born into a family of Russian immigrants. Before this match, he could not boast of victories in such major tournaments and was considered an underdog. He had never even entered the top thirty in the world rankings.

The situation for Alexey was complicated by the fact that this was his second match of the day. Due to rainy weather, he was forced to play the semifinal against Sebastian Korda a few hours before the decisive match. With such input, experts all bet on Rublev.

Rublev’s nerves on the court

But the beginning of the match was a disaster for Andrey. He allowed Popyrin to make a break without winning a single rally. There was no fight for the next game either. As a result, Alexey took the lead 2:0. The Russian Australian needed only five minutes to do this. The unsuccessful start led to Andrey not holding back his emotions, shouting loudly in his hearts.

Rublev’s failure on serve continued for almost the entire first set. Paradoxically, the Russian looked better on the return, although it cannot be said that Popyrin’s serves were simple. In the fifth game, after the opponent’s second break, Andrey was literally faceless. During the break, he loudly scolded himself for his failures. Our player was unable to turn the tide in the opening period, losing 2:6.

During the break between the games, Andrey went to the under-stands room to recharge, but it did not help. In the first game of the second set, he again failed to take his serve. Popyrin’s forehand became an insurmountable problem for the Russian at the beginning of the set.

At 1:2 Rublev called the doctor and complained of stomach pain. Three pills solved the problem, and Andrey perked up a bit. In the sixth game, he even made a return break, but the joy of the Russian fans did not last long. Alexey immediately returned the advantage on Rublev’s serve and brought the set to victory – 6:4. In the end, Rublev spent a lot of nerves, swearing and kicking advertising boards after unsuccessful rallies.

For Popyrin, this victory was the biggest in his career. Success at the Masters will allow the 25-year-old athlete to debut in the top 30 best tennis players in the world. The Australian immediately soared to 23rd place.

“It means so much to me. It’s all because of the hard work I’ve put in over the last few years. All the sacrifices I’ve made, not just me, but my family, my girlfriend, my team, everyone around me. They just sacrificed their lives for me,” Alexey said after his victory.

After the defeat, Andrey thanked his opponent and congratulated him on his victory, and also announced that he was going to Cincinnati, where he would fight only for victory in the next Masters.