By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, October 27, 2023
Andrey Rublev saved four break points in the final game stopping Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 to reach his seventh semifinal of the season in Vienna.
Photo credit: ThomasKronsteiner/Getty
Red hair flying from its roots like lava flow, Andrey Rublev rode fiery forehand into his seventh semifinal of the season in Vienna.
A relentless Rublev repelled four break points in the final game stopping Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3, his third straight win over the former world No. 2, at the Erste Bank Open.
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It's been a week of achievement for Rublev, who qualified for the ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year by reaching the quarterfinals.
Deconstructing the Zverev forehand with a barrage of forehand blasts, Rublev registered his 53rd win of the season, equaling his personal-best for most wins in a single season from his 53-21 mark in 2021.
Olympic gold-medal champion Zverev owns a bigger serve, typically bolder backhand and defends better on the move than Rublev.
None of that has mattered much to the explosive Rublev, who kept his emotions in check (for the most part) and battered the Zverev forehand, frequently opening the court for his point-ending inside-out forehand.
In a battle of former Vienna champions, Rublev withstood a 12-point game to hold for 5-2 then dug in and denied four break points serving out a two hour, 30-minute victory. Rublev served 66 percent and saved all six break points he faced.
The third-seeded Rublev carries a superb 6-0 semifinal record on the season into Saturday's semifinal against either second-seeded Jannik Sinner or seventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe.
Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas dug out of a triple break point hole in the final game fending off Croatian wild card Borna Gojo 7-6(4), 7-5 to advance to his 46th career semifinal, including his sixth semifinal of the season.
The fourth-seeded Tsitsipas set up a blockbuster semifinal vs. top-seeded nemesis Daniil Medvedev.
Reigning Vienna champion Medvedev dispatched good buddy Karen Khachanov 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in today’s first quarterfinal.
It was Medvedev’s ninth straight Vienna win as he raised his 2023 record to 63-14—equaling his personal-best for most wins in a season.
Hunting for his sixth title of the season, Medvedev owns an 8-4 career edge over Tsitsipas with several of those contentious clashes popping with heated emotional exchanges. Medvedev won their most recent meeting, 7-5, 7-5, in the Rome semifinals last May, however Tsitsipas has prevailed in their last two hard-court meetings.
Though Zverev came to court armed with a 5-2 career edge over Rublev, the hard-hitting Russian was calling the shots from the start. Rublev was crunching deep drives giving Zverev little time to operate offensive initiatives.
Whenever Zverev pressed him, Rublev repeatedly slid his slice serve out wide to the German's weaker forehand wing, stepped up to the baseline and rocketed his forehand with damaging intent.Pushed to deuce in the fourth game, a jittery Zverev ballooned a forehand four feet long to face break point.
Shrewdly testing the German’s forehand again, Rublev rapped a biting backhand down the line drawing a second straight floated forehand error to break for 3-1.
Rublev was serving at 3-1, 15-all when a spectator apparently fell ill in the crowd causing play to be delayed for nearly five minutes. Both men agreed to resume without a warm-up and Rublev hit a series of deep forehands consolidating for 4-1.
The red-haired Russian snapped a two-handed return down the line to open the court then slid a forehand down the opposite sideline earning triple break point in the sixth game.
Former US Open finalist Zverev looked uncommitted to his forehand swing and was getting punished in forehand exchanges by the heavy-hitting Rublev. Pouncing on another second serve, Rublev danced around his backhand and ripped a forehand winner down the line scoring his second straight break for 5-1.
On his second set point, Rublev rifled a series of blistering forehands blowing a hole in Zverev’s defense to take the 38-minute opening set on a five-game surge. Rublev won 13 of 14 first-serve points and did not face a break point in a dominating set.
Stepping into his damaging drives, Rublev was swamping Zverev with depth and pace as he earned a break point in the fifth game.
Opting to run around his backhand, Rublev was off the doubles alley when he dragged a forehand pass wide down the line. Zverev dodged the break point and held for 3-2.
The fifth-ranked Rublev worked through his toughest hold of the match slamming down a bounce-smash to force a second-set tiebreaker.
Disparate ground-stroking styles marked the tiebreaker with Rublev’s combustible forehand helping him jump out to a 3-0 lead before the Zverev backhand blew the breaker open.
Rublev smothered a forehand into net as Zverev leveled the breaker 3-3. On the next point, Zverev streaked in a sideline-to-sideline sprint leaning low to bolt a backhand pass down the line for the 4-3 mini-break lead.
Zverev zapped an ace out wide for 5-4 then slashed his 10th ace down the T to cap the second set and force a decider.
A pair of forehand misses from Zverev put the German in a double break point deficit to start the final set. Zverev missed his trademark two-hander longer to cede the break in the second game.
Ferocious forehands helped Rublev repel a pair of break points. Rublev launched a laser inside-out forehand holding firm for a 3-0 third-set lead.
Withstanding the German’s pressure in a 12-point game, Rublev hung tough and held on for 5-2.
The 2020 champion whipped a bold forehand swing volley and a serve winner to save two of the four break points in the final game. In the end, Rublev stood tall in a four break point stress test to battle into the semifinals.
The 26-year-old Rublev is playing for his third title of the season.