Atp Finals, Rublev beats Medvedev in the Red Group

Friends, teammates, and more than ever rivals. Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev beat each other up. Like two who love each other, like two who have known each other since they were kids, who speak the same language. Who have experienced the same conditions, excluded from Wimbledon because they are children of the usurping country, always in defense. In the end, the one that he wasn’t favorite won, on the weaker card, especially with his head. Rublev won, 6-7 (7) 6-3 7-6 (7). Andrey, having lost the first set in the tie break, pulled out all the physical and nervous energies to catch up and fight for the final match.

The minibreak was decisive for the 4-2 at the tie break, Rublev arrives 6-4 but with two match points he recovers 6-6, then 7-7, and returns to match point, this time serving at 8-7 after a another breathtaking exchange. Coach Fernando Vicente, who has been working with the current number 7 in the world for years, jumps on his chair at every exchange. Medvedev’s wife, who gave birth just over a month ago, on the same day as Mrs Xisca Perello Nadal, speaks for herself. In short, a crazy game.

Message of peace

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“Peace, peace, peace is all we need” Andrey writes on camera with the little energy he has left. “Daniil is one of the strongest players in the world, and above all he is one of my closest friends. But I immediately felt the ball well. On a mental level, however, it was very hard and I didn’t want what happened at the US Open to happen , when I was ahead and then I lost.” With his hand bleeding after punching his racket, Rublev concludes with a fatalistic sentence: “I think this time it’s time to get through the round and not stop at the rounds – he underlines, recalling previous experiences -. And if I then have to go to home, I’ll go home.” In the evening session, Mektic-Pavic face Dodig-Krajcek in doubles and following it will be the turn of the “big match” between Stefanos Tsitsipas, aspiring number 1 in the world, and Novak Djokovic in the hunt for one last big trophy to end the season on top.