Rublev Completes Remarkable Comeback, Edges Querrey At Roland Garros

Sam Querrey opened up big leads in each of the first three sets, only to see in-form Andrey Rublev recover from 0-2 sets down for the first time in his career on Tuesday at Roland Garros.

For the majority of the first two hours, Querrey proved how he could thrive in the cold and damp conditions of Paris by keeping points short with big serves and solid groundstrokes, but Rublev worked his way back to complete a dramatic 6-7(5), 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 victory over three hours and 17 minutes on Court Simonne-Mathieu, the third show court.

It was a certainly dramatic way for No. 13 seed Rublev to secure his first win at the clay-court major, which extended his ATP Head2Head record to 3-1 against Querrey. The Russian, who captured his third ATP Tour title of 2020 on Sunday at the Hamburg European Open (d. Tsitsipas), is now 26-6 on the season. He will now prepare to face Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who knocked out French wild card Harold Mayot 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5.

Querrey raced off to a 3-0 start, before World No. 12 Rublev started a comeback, saving set points at 3-5, 30/40 and 5-6, 30/40. Rublev admirably forced a tie-break, but Querrey held firm to clinch the 48-minute opener.

Querrey led 4-0 after just 11 minutes of the second set, before Rublev held to 15 and worked his way into their fourth meeting. The Russian then won 13 straight points from 1-5 down to put Querrey under pressure. By breaking back to 5-5, Rublev looked to be in the ascendancy, but Querrey’s booming serve returned in the nick of time. The World No. 48 saved two set points at 5-6, Ad-Out, and completed a close tie-break with an ace — one of 29 he struck in the match.

After a five-minute delay due to rain, the first-round encounter appeared to further unravel for Rublev, when he was broken in the fourth game of the third set. But once again, Querrey’s serve went off the boil and Rublev won five consecutive games from 2-5. The set ended when Querrey hit a backhand return long.

Rublev, who had never before recovered from 0-2 sets down, broke in the third game of the fourth set. He closed out to love with an ace, having lost just four of his service points, then broke early in the decider to grow in confidence. The 22-year-old completed a memorable victory by scrambling up a drop shot and flicking a forehand crosscourt for a winner as Querrey stranded at the net. Rublev sank to his knees in celebration

Querrey, who hit 80 winners and committed 62 unforced errors, had been hoping to become the eighth American into the Roland Garros second round. With five wins in 13 visits to south-west Paris, the 32-year-old’s best run was reaching the 2013 third round (l. to Simon in five sets).

Rublev had won their two previous meetings, including a 6-3, 6-3 victory en route to the Adelaide International crown in January. He also won the Qatar ExxonMobil Open trophy (d. Moutet) in the first week of the 2020 season.

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