Andrey Rublev rallies past Holger Rune to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo
Andrey Rublev claimed his first ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday, defeating teenager Holger Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters final. In a match between two of the biggest ball-strikers on the ATP Tour, the fifth-seeded Rublev rallied from 1-4 in the third set to secure the 13th and biggest title of his career after two hours and 34 minutes.
Rublev got off to a tough start, losing the first set 5-7 to Rune, who was aiming to win his second ATP Masters 1000 crown. However, Rublev quickly regained his composure in the second set, winning 90% of his first-serve points and breaking Rune twice to level the match.
Rublev fights back to secure first ATP Masters 1000 title
The third set was a closely contested battle between the two players, with Rune taking an early 3-0 lead before Rublev fought back to level the set at 4-4. After fending off two break points at 1-4, Rublev continued to play aggressively and finally secured the decisive break at 5-5 when Rune hit a double fault at 30/40. Rublev then closed out the match on serve, sealing his first ATP Masters 1000 title with his fifth ace of the match.
After the match, Rublev expressed his joy and relief at finally winning a Masters 1000 tournament. “I have tears,” Rublev said. “I don’t know what to say to be honest. I don’t know. I am just happy, finally. [I have] been struggling so much to win this freaking Masters 1000 tournament. Finally losing 4-1, Love-30, saving break points, thinking there is no chance to win, and somehow I did it.”
With his victory, Rublev improved his record to 18 tour-level wins this season and climbed up seven spots to fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. He now has a 1-2 record in ATP Masters 1000 finals, having lost against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte-Carlo and Alexander Zverev in Cincinnati last year.
Rune’s impressive run in the tournament comes to an end
Rune, who had defeated five top 10 opponents en route to the title in Paris last year, was the first teenager to reach the final in Monte-Carlo since Rafael Nadal in 2006. Despite his impressive run in the tournament, the 19-year-old Dane was unable to overcome Rublev in the final. He saved seven of the eight break points he faced in the first set and held a 3-0 lead in the third set before Rublev rallied back.
Rune’s impressive run to the final helped him climb two spots to No. 7 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. The Dane now holds a 17-8 record on the season and will head to the ATP 250 event in Munich, where he is the defending champion.
Rublev’s victory over Rune in Monte-Carlo is a significant milestone in his career, and the Russian player will be looking to build on this success as he continues to climb up the rankings. Meanwhile, Rune’s impressive run in the tournament shows that he is a player to watch out for in the future.
