Andrey Rublev comes from behind to win Monte Carlo Masters
Andrey Rublev rallied from a set down and a break down in the third set to defeat Holger Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in the Monte-Carlo Masters final on Sunday.
Rublev slammed 33 winners to power him to the biggest title of his career to date.
It took just over two and half hours to seperate Rublev and Rune in an enthralling battle of two big-hitters.
Rublev got over the line in a Masters final at the third attempt having lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo in 2021 and Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati later the same year.
He found himself down 4-1 in the decisive set but Rublev stole himself to stay in the contest and earn critical breaks.
“I have tears,” Rublev said after the match.
“I don’t know what to say. I am so happy. I have been struggling so much to win a Masters 1000 tournament. Trailing 1-4, 0/30, then saving break points, thinking there is no chance to win. But somehow I did it.”
The victory over Rune was Rublev’s 18th ATP Tour triumph of the season and gave him his 13th career title.
“I was hoping deep inside that I would have one chance,” Rublev said. “Play until the end. I remember the previous finals and when I was losing I thought I’d have no chance and mentally I was going down. But today I thought, ‘Just believe until the end’, and this is what I was trying to do in the third set, hoping I would have an extra chance to come back and what a way to do it.”
Rune was bidding to become the first teenager to win the title since Rafael Nadal in 2006.
The sixth seed got some joy in the first set with his drop shot but couldn’t live with the large cuts that Rublev took at the ball.
The Dane, who defeated Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, saved seven of eight break points in the first set, to deny a visibly frustrated Rublev before breaking him in the 12th game to take the lead.
Rublev, on the other hand, was quick to answer in the second set. He won 90% of his first-serve points and was more clinical on return, forcing Rune deep with his power to break twice and tie the match.
In the third set, the Dane stormed to a 3-0 lead, hitting with great accuracy on return to seize control. Rublev, however, battled his way back into the contest after falling behind 1-4.
Rune would ultimately gift Rublev the critical break with a double fault in the 11th game of the third set.
