Despite being eliminated in the quarterfinals at the Cincinnati Masters 1000, Andrey Rublev can be satisfied with the level expressed against Carlos Alcaraz yesterday. The Russian ace lost the first set quite clearly by suffering two breaks, before drastically raising his level in the second part of the match putting the current world number 2 in serious difficulty.
The champion from Moscow who is rediscovering his certainties also thanks to his collaboration with Marat Safin won the second set and was really close to forcing the 22-year-old Spaniard to the decisive tiebreak, but he made some serious mistakes in the twelfth game of the third set and surrendered due to a double fault.
He has certainly shown improvements compared to the beginning of the season and the feeling is that he can achieve a prestigious result at the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the season, which begins on August 24 in Flushing Meadows.
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Andrey will have to be good at handling pressure and focusing only on his game, being aware that his game can be very dangerous for opponents on such fast surfaces. He is on the right track right now and only needs to adjust a few small details in order to aspire to lift important trophies.
Rublev is getting better
Interviewed by the Russian media 'Championat', Rublev expressed his feelings after the defeat against Carlitos in Ohio: "I think I played very good tennis in Cincinnati, it was a good tournament and I'm proud. I faced Carlos with the right attitude and I think my performance was better than the one I had shown at Wimbledon.
We have to continue to improve, trying to make further steps forward at the net and adding new weapons to my game. I have already improved a lot in several aspects, but I continue to make too many mistakes in certain areas of the pitch and I miss chances. The small details make the difference on this level."
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The Russian star will have a week to prepare well for the US Open, a tournament that should suit his characteristics well.
