Andrei Rublev is on track to repeat his successes of 2019 and 2020 when he respectively, made the final and then lifted the trophy as he made this year’s semi-final following his 6-1 3-6 6-3 defeat of Luciano Darderi in the Bitpanda Hamburg Open on Thursday.
I was missing these kinds of matches, because I really need them, and I’m happy to be back in the semi-final Andrei Rublev
The Russian third seed, now favourite to go all the way, has seen his from slip in recent months as he dropped out of the top ten, had to battle past the in-form Italian.
“I’m happy to be in the semi-final,” Rublev said on reaching the last four of the ATP 500 level event. “These were a couple of matches that I needed. I need wins. I needed to struggle, like when you face a tough fight and you don’t really feel the game, but somehow you are winning.
“Today I was able to play much better. It is one extra match that counts for me. I was missing these kinds of matches, because I really need them, and I’m happy to be back in the semi-final.”
Having won only two matches from his last 9 outings, his run this week was certainly a morale boosting affair for him.
Rublev converted three of seven break points he earned to complete a one-hour, 54-minute victory and a meeting with Felix Auger Aliassime for a place in the final.
Felix Auger-Aliassime squeezes into the last four
(Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images)
The Canadian edged Alexandre Muller 7-6(4) 6-7(8) 6-3 in just under three hours having let four match points slip in a tight second set.
Rublev leads Auger-Aliassime 6-1 and triumphed over him in their most recent meeting on clay in the 2024 Madrid championship match.
In the opening match of the day, Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry eased past the Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-3 to reach his maiden tour-level semi-final in 2025.
Flavio Cobolli celebrates his quarter final victory
(Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images)
His opponent will be Flavio Cobolli, the Bucharest champion, who took out Spain’s veteran clay-courter Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(4) 6-0.
