the russian Andrei Rublev and the Croatian Borna Coric is arguing with final of the ninety-eighth edition of the Copa del Rey tennisafter losing to Huelva a Fernando Verdasco and Pablo Andujar, respectively. Both, seventh and fourteenth in the ATP ranking, asserted this status as favorites to overcome the Spaniards, who put in everything they could.
Rublev prevailed in the second semifinal of 7-5 and 6-2 in 56 minutes of playing against verdasco, which went from more to less at stake. The Russian player started the match focused and scored a 2-0 lead with a quick break to Verdasco and a subsequent defense of his serve. In a third game that was longer than the previous ones combined, Verdasco saved several break points to open his scoring.
This inertia of greater accuracy and aggressiveness in his punches took advantage of it to add two consecutive games. He broke Rublev’s serve and held firm on his serve to make it 3-2. The Russians then leveled the odds, but the Spanish continued at a high level, making it 4-3 with a scoreless game.
The rivalry recorded a period of parity in the following games, with good level from two, until Rublev took advantage of a hole in the eleventh game to go up 6-5 by breaking serve of his native Madrid. Then with a blank serve game, they closed out the first set at 7-5 in 28 minutes.
In the second set, Rublev reeled off five straight games, three of them in less than 20 minutes, against a Verdasco with no reaction capacity. The Monte Carlo winner broke his rival’s serve again by returning the game, finishing with a great final lift at the net. He then comfortably won his serve and was again 0-30 against a Verdasco who was publicly urged to react, but could not avoid 3-0 or a fourth or fifth point against after another break.
In what could be a decisive sixth game to seal qualification for the final, Rublev was erratic and in a hurry against a Verdasco who did his best not to leave empty-handed. It was 0-40, but a long ball and a pass to the net made it difficult for them. But in the end he was able to break serve and score 5-1.
With water around the neck came the best game from Madrid. He started the seventh game with a direct kick, which led to a 30-0 lead. But a right cross down the line by Rublev and a mistake complicated him again. His direct kick showed him a beautiful smile of satisfaction and saw the score 5-2.
It was a mirage, as Rublev went into the final with a 40-0 serve. Verdasco briefly delayed him, but the Russian tennis player got the victory in another 28 minutes of play and 6-2.
His rival in the final was the Croatian tennis player Borna Coric, who took the win in the first semifinal against Cuenca Pablo Andujar, which is very competitive. Coric produced an exciting match that was resolved by 6-3 and 6-4 one hour and seven minutes of play.
Source: La Verdad
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