In a thrilling upset, Andrey Rublev pulled off a late rally to defeat local favorite Alex de Minaur in the fourth round of the Australian Open. After four hours and fourteen minutes, the thrilling match on Sunday night came to a close, with Rublev winning 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0.
When De Minaur reflected on the game, he recognized Rublev’s aggressive style and said: “He just let go; he started swinging, and the balls went in. It’s not a match I lost physically; it’s just that the racquet was taken out of my hand. He was just standing and hitting from every single part of the court at Mach 10.”
Rublev admitted to feeling tired and showed his resilience. He added: “I started to tell myself, No, you’re going to die today, but you will do everything. And then somehow I started to play better and better, and I found more energy and I was able to win. I was just trying not to think about it; I was just trying to push myself. Don’t cry; don’t start to feel sorry for yourself. It would be better not to be inside my head at this time. It’s like a scary movie.”
Rublev’s incredible performance against de Minaur is proof of both the unpredictability of tennis and the longevity of elite players on the grand slam scene.
Andrey Rublev in 2024
Ranked world no.5 (career-high), Andrey played his last match on the 23rd of January when he lost to world no.4 Jannik Sinner 6-4 7-6(5) 6-3 in the quarter of the Australian Open (draw).
At present, during this year the Russian has achieved a 8-1 win-loss record. Andrey has won 1 title in Hong Kong.
Alex De Minaur in 2024
Currently the world no.10 (career-high), the Australian played his last match on the 21st of January when he was defeated by world no.5 Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-0 in the 4th round of the Australian Open (draw).
Until now, during this year the Australian achieved a 6-2 record. Alex De Minaur’s best result of this season was getting to the semifinal in Australia.
Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur squared off 6 times. Their current head to head is 3-3. The last time they played, Andrey Rublev won 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-0 in the 4th round in Melbourne (Australian Open) on the 21st of January 2024.
In the video below you can watch the highlights.
Andrey Rublev and Alex De Minaur |
| Embed from Getty Images |
