Russian tennis ace Andrey Rublev almost suffered a second-round exit at the 2024 Italian Open as he was pushed to the brink by Marcos Giron on Saturday. Opening his campaign at the Rome Masters, Rublev lost the opening set 5-7. He was looking in a lot of doubt in the second set as well.
However, the 26-year-old kept his calm and won the second set 6-4 to stay alive in the contest. With the score level at 1-1, the match was pushed into a decider and it was again a challenging task for Rublev. The Russian ace had to work hard to win the set. Anyway, Rublev managed it in the end, winning the decider 7-5 and advancing to the next round.
He was asked about his struggles on the court and Rublev was brutally honest about how he felt. The Russian said that he was angry with himself for letting out too many emotions. He also admitted that he was lucky to end up on the right side of the result.
I don’t know. I was super angry with myself that I let a lot of emotions out today… I was thinking it’s over and I deserve to lose.. I was thinking had a lot of chances and I didn’t make them because of my emotions. Somehow I was able to start the game really well. Little by little I was able to recover. I was really lucky. Andrey Rublev said.
Andrey Rublev feels lucky to be playing in Rome after what happened in Madrid
After his win in the second round, Andrey Rublev was also asked about his situation. The Russian was asked how it felt to win a match after spending time in the hospital when others were practicing for the tournament. Rublev said it was a good present for him.
The 26-year-old said that he felt lucky to be playing in Rome after what happened in Madrid. Rublev also promised to make a good lesson out of this second chance he has been presented with.
Of course. I would say every win is a good win. Doesn’t matter. I’m lucky I’m able to play here. It’s already a good present. We’ll see. Now I’m able to get a second chance after this match to still be in the tournament. We’ll see if I make a good lesson out of it or not. Andrey Rublev said.
Notably, Rublev was super sick when he lifted the title in Madrid. He had a fever and sore throat and was also sleep-deprived before the game. The Russian then spent two and a half days in the hospital before coming to Rome to participate in another high-stakes tournament.
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