Erste Bank Open: Andrey Rublev - With humility to the top of the world
Andrey Rublev proved with his victory against Dominic Thiem that he has finally reached the top of the world. But the Russian doesn't really want to admit that.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Oct 30, 2020, 09:50 pm
By Michael Rothschädl from the Wiener Stadthalle
If you see Andrey Rublev in the square, then the young Russian is electrified. Not only playful, but also emotionally charged, it is an energetic figure who turns his lanes on the court, who screams, who curses - and who also plays sensational tennis. The Russian once again impressively demonstrated this in his victory over Dominic Thiem yesterday. Even if the Austrian had to struggle with a blister on his foot, especially in the second set, such a clear success over the third in the world rankings was another exclamation point.
Even after such a success, the young Russian walks calmly, withdrawn to the obligatory media event. He still has to improve a lot, now has to work, work, work, emphasizes the 23-year-old almost like a mantra. He wouldn't have had any expectations when he came to Vienna, the season has been so great so far. "But if I want to keep that, I have to keep working." - there it was again.
"Have to play my best tennis"
Accordingly, he went into the match with the reigning US Open champion, as the Moscow native explains: "It is very difficult to play against him, he is one of the best players and the best fighters - I respect him very much . I went in with the mindset that I had to play my best tennis, that I had nothing to lose. I go in to do my best. "
An attitude that he now wants to maintain, as the Russian emphasized: "At the beginning of the year I never thought that I would have a chance to qualify for the ATP finals, so I want to continue going into the tournaments. " Of course, it would mean a lot to him to be able to serve at the tournament of the best eight players of the year, to experience the great atmosphere in the British capital for the first time. "But the season was also such a great one."
Little experience against the top players
Despite the sensational season, Rublev's victory against Thiem was only the third win against a top 10 player in the 2020 calendar year. The 23-year-old cannot really be sure whether he will go into the competition with the big stars with a certain degree of self-confidence say yes: "I go in to do my best, to show great tennis and give the spectators a good show," said Rublev. Against the big dominators like Djokovic and Nadal, he had played too seldom to be able to say how he would feel in a match against them.
What is certain, however, is that he is still a long way from reaching his limits. "There is still so much to improve - and that's a good thing. I can improve my serve, my volley." The mental and physical components are also still expandable. "That's what we're working on and that's our goal: to see where my limit is."