NEWSLETTER | RUBLEV HITS MASTERS JACKPOT IN MONTE-CARLO

Andrey Rublev secures first Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo with three-set victory over Holger Rune

By Stephen Higgins | 17th April 2023

Rafael Nadal
Sunday proved third time lucky for Andrey Rublev in Masters 1000 finals | Victor Velter/Shutterstock

You have to give Andrey Rublev credit: he sticks at it.

The Russian finally secured a Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo after two final losses in the past, including one in The Principality.

On Sunday, Rublev recovered from a set down to beat Holger Rune 5-7 6-2 7-5. The final was a dramatic affair as the Dane held a 4-1 lead in the last set and had break points, but could not find the energy and composure to hold on. Given his extraordinary talent at just 19, this is likely to be a mere speed bump for Rune as his career unfolds.

As for Rublev, while the 25-year-old won’t budge in rankings terms, those extra points put him within striking distance of Stefanos Tsitsipas in fifth position. After securing such a big title, there will naturally be talk of a more substantial major challenge from the Russian. However, I’m still not entirely convinced.

While there is no question over his power and application, I still think that Rublev suffers from a somewhat limited game style compared to the very best. It will be interesting to see if his refreshed backroom team adds new layers.

A seven-time quarter-finalist at majors, we shall see if Monte-Carlo proves to be a stepping stone to a first semi-final run at a grand slam. Before then, over the coming weeks it will be intriguing to see how Rublev competes with Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and hopefully, Rafael Nadal.

BILLIE JEAN KING CUP | QUALIFIERS

There were no WTA events last week as international sides battled to make the Billie Jean King Cup Finals this November. Here are the results:

Star names certainly made a difference in victories for the Czech Republic (Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova), France (Caroline Garcia), USA (Jessie Pegula and Coco Gauff) and Kazakhstan (Elena Rybakina). Meanwhile, Poland missed Iga Swiatek in Astana while Great Britain had no top 100 singles players to choose with the absence of Emma Raducanu.

Therefore, Spain, Czech Republic, France, Canada, USA, Italy, Germany, Kazakhstan and Slovenia join Switzerland and Australia at the 2023 Finals. Another nation will join the event as a wildcard.