Andrey Rublev never wants to play Djokovic again as Russian classy after loss
Andrey Rublev was gracious in defeat as he took time out for some fans just minutes after losing to Novak Djokovic on a double fault. The pair met in the second semi-final at the Rolex Paris Masters with the match going down to the wire as the top seed just edged out the 26-year-old 5-7 7-6(3) 7-5. After the match, Rublev jokingly said he didn’t want to face Djokovic again despite taking the positives from his run in Bercy.
Rublev put on one of his most impressive mental performances as he went toe-to-toe with Djokovic for three hours on Saturday evening. The world No 5 was just three points from victory on a couple of occasions in the second set but just lost out when he hit a double fault while serving to stay in the match.
Djokovic himself later said that he had “never faced Rublev playing so well” and it seemed that the 14-time title winner agreed as he reflected on his week in Bercy. “I feel like, I don’t know, it’s been a great week,” Rublev said just minutes after walking off court.
“I was playing really great level, I was controlling really good emotions so looks like I’m moving in the right direction and the most important thing is to just keep going this way.” Rublev is now 1-5 against Djokovic but pushed the 24-time Grand Slam champion to the limit and will continue to be a tough opponent for the Serb in future meetings.
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But Rublev is hoping that they don’t meet again, despite getting close to beating Djokovic for a second time. Asked what could make the difference the next time they faced off, he laughed and replied: “No, no, no. I don’t want to play him next time. That’s all I want.”
The 26-year-old still knew that he had been on the cusp of victory as he added: “Two, three shots [decided the outcome]. It was three shots when it was [in the] second set 5-4, 6-5 I had 0-15, I miss a bit and when he have 6-5 he make it and I miss a bit so three, four shots decide the match.
Rublev also gave an update after he aired his grievances with the scheduling when he finished his quarter-final match against Alex de Minaur at 12:59am. “Of course I was feeling tired but I managed to play a really good level,” he said after returning to the court 16 hours after finishing his previous match.
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After completing his post-match media duties, Rublev then showed his class as some fans waiting behind a cordon nearby tried to call him over while holding large tennis balls and sharpies. The world No 5 was happy to oblige, making his way over to them to sign some autographs.
Rublev is now hoping to end his successful season on a high in Turin. The Russian has qualified for the ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year. 12 months ago he was able to get out of the group stage for the first time, advancing to the semi-final but losing to Casper Ruud, and he will be one of the favourites to go all the way given his current form.
The world No 5 has already achieved a major milestone this year, winning his maiden Masters 1000 title in Monte Carlo. And he is in red-hot form as the season nears its end, reaching the Shanghai final and back-to-back semi-finals in Vienna and Bercy.
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