Andrey Rublev will compete in his fifth Masters 1000 final in Madrid following a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Taylor Fritz. Andrey controlled the pace and scored a win in an hour and 12 minutes, setting the title clash against Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jiri Lehecka.
Fritz became the first American in the semi-final at Caja Magica. However, he could not challenge the better-ranked rival despite a solid effort, ending his run in the last four. Rublev got broken in the first game of the encounter and raised his level after that, facing only two more break points and keeping the pressure on his opponent.
The Russian served at 75% and dominated with his first serve. Andrey played against three break points and defended two, maintaining the pressure on the other side.
Fritz dropped 37% of the points in his games, playing against six break points and getting broken three times.
Rublev fired 21 service winners and forged the lead with 20 winners and 19 unforced errors. Andrey had the upper hand in the shortest rallies up to four strokes, taming his strokes nicely and earning a place in the title clash.
The Russian squandered four game points in the first game of the encounter and faced a break point after a double fault. The American seized after the rival’s loose forehand, gathering an early advantage. Instead of building on that, Taylor lost an extended rally in the second game and offered Andrey two break chances.
Rublev pressured Fritz’s backhand and seized the second opportunity, leveling the score at 1-1.
Andrey Rublev is through to his first Madrid Masters final.
Taylor sprayed another backhand error in the third game, allowing Andrey to hold at 15 and move in front.
They served well in the upcoming games, and Fritz survived deuces at 2-3, painting a backhand down the line winner and remaining on the positive side. Rublev grabbed the seventh game with an unreturned serve before his rival landed an ace down the T line in the next one for a hold at love and 4-4.
Andrey responded with a perfect hold in game nine and stepped in on the return in the next one. The Russian caused the rival’s mistake and created three set points. Andrey drew another mistake from Taylor with a deep return, converting the first set point and rattling off eight points for 6-4 after 39 minutes.
Rublev saved two break points in the first game of the second set and held with a powerful serve. Fritz landed an ace in the second game and held at love two games later for 2-2.
Andrey fired a service winner for 3-2 and earned three break chances in the next one after Taylor’s forehand mistake right after the serve. Rublev converted the third after hitting the baseline with a smash, forging the crucial advantage.
The Russian held at love in game seven, clinching 12 of the previous 14 points and moving 5-2 in front. Taylor landed an ace in the eighth game while serving to stay in the match, holding at love and reducing the deficit. Andrey served for the triumph in game nine and earned three match points with an unreturned serve.
He seized the first after Taylor’s backhand error, celebrating and moving into his fifth Masters 1000 final in the previous three years.