Andrey Rublev opened his ATP Finals campaign on Monday with a hard-fought 6-7 (7-9), 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) win over fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev in their opening group match.
The floppy-haired Rublev, who is making his third straight appearance at the season finale, had the best of the early exchanges and appeared to be on course to wrap up the first set in quick time as he opened up a 4-1 lead.
World No. 5 Medvedev had an inconsistent day on his serve, mixing 24 aces with eight double faults, but he battled back, saving two set points at 5-6, to take it to a tiebreak.
Rublev, two places lower in the rankings and the only player in the Green Group not to have previously won the Finals, rediscovered his rhythm in the second set as Medvedev again struggled on his serve, to take the match into a decider.
The third set again went to a tiebreak, this time without a single break on either side. Medvedev saved three match points at 3-6 in the breaker and then a fourth.
This story is from the November 15, 2022 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 15, 2022 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SIXERS KEEP HOPES ALIVE
Maxey hits 46pts against Knicks, says they didn’t give up as season on the line
QUEIROZ'S SIX GRAND FOR THREE ACE RIDES
Jockey trades one-day ban for 6k fine and May I8 ticket to ride, but not in Kranji Mile
For SMEs, going green Is critical but they face multiple challenges
DBS and SBF want to change mindsets and guide firms’ sustainability journeys
Yen intervention shows Asia is losing patience with the mighty US dollar
Indonesia and Taiwan also recently took steps to shore up their currencies
Are tax cuts and government spending fuelling US inflation?
Debate could impact how Fed sets policy in months ahead, and shape decisions by the next president
Wish comes true for author who wanted to meet family of S'porean WWII hero
Daredevil pilot with British air force was inspiration behind a character in her book
There's a place for 'magic' too in this clean and efficient city
Creating and sustaining a sense of spontaneity, magic among urban issues explored in a new book
Limited training options for people with disabilities
Groups say more can be done to make course materials accessible, remove physical barriers
Trump open to detention camps for illegal migrants
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump does not rule out building detention camps on US soil for migrants who are in the country illegally if he wins a second White House term, he told Time magazine in an interview published on April 30.
EU probes Meta platforms amid disinformation fears
Concerns that Facebook, Instagram failing to counter fake news ahead of bloc’s polls
