Impressive Rublev Powers Russia To Early Lead At ATP Cup

Andrey Rublev handed Russia an early lead in its Group D tie against Argentina on Tuesday at the ATP Cup. The World No. 8, who is making his tournament debut, powered his way past Guido Pella of Argentina 6-1, 6-2 in just one hour on John Cain Arena in Melbourne.

"It's my first match of the season and I'm really happy with my performance," said Rublev in an on-court interview. "I put in a lot of work [between 2019 and 2020] and everything came together. I started to play better and had more confidence."

Daniil Medvedev, the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champion, will now look to clinch the tie for Russia when he plays World No. 9 Diego Schwartzman in the second singles match. Medvedev leads 5-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, including three wins in 2020 at the inaugural ATP Cup, the Rolex Paris Masters and the season finale in London.

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Rublev took the ball early throughout their second tour-level meeting (2018 Doha), breaking twice in the 26-minute opener which ended with a forehand winner down the line. Pella struck three double faults in a row at 2-2 in the second set, which set Rublev on course for victory. Rublev broke again at 4-2 and struck 22 winners in total.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/36BOt2W