the russian Andrey Rublev couldn’t believe his luck on Thursday when he was drawn in the Red Group of the ATP Finalsa tournament where three masters such as Serbian Novak Djokovic, Russian Daniil Medvedev and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas will compete.
“My first reaction was not good. I thought: What am I doing here, in this group?“, laughed the world number seven in an interview with ATP.
And Rublev, 25 years old, who participated for the third time in this tournament that puts an end to the season and will be held for the second time in Turin (northern Italy), knows very well that it is impossible to continue. avoid the best
“You can’t escape. If you want to play against the best and try to beat them, you have to face them. I just want to enjoy my moment and give my best,” he said.
Champion in Marseille, Dubai, Belgrade and Gijón in this campaignwhere he has fought in big meetings and where his perseverance and good tennis have earned him a place among the best, will be measured in his competitive debut, next Tuesday, with his compatriot Medvedev, teacher in 2020.
“Against Daniil, it will be a real game of chess. I don’t even look at my other matches. I think both of us will show a good level that the audience will enjoy,” he said.
His path to what would be his first semifinals at the prestigious meeting of the tennis elite will go on to a clash against a Novak Djokovic chasing his sixth straight winwill tie him with the Swiss Roger Federer at the top, making him the teacher of teachers along with the one from Basel.
The Serbian tennis player crowned Nur-Sultan, Tel Aviv, ATP Masters 1000 Rome and Wimbledon this season in a year marked by controversy over his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, a decision that left him with two major decisions : Australia and the United States.
As if that wasn’t enough with these two confrontations, Rublev will also have to face Hellene Tsitsipas, champion of the 2019 edition and, this year, in Mallorca and the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo.
Rublev arrived with a poster of David, while his opponents in the Red Group did the same with Goliath. We’ll have to wait until Friday, once the group stage ends, to see if history follows its natural course and Rublev completes the feat, or if this time the Goliaths miss their mark.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
