Andrey Rublev pictured – Photo Getty Images
Andrey Rublev he started the match badly and then won the match. The Russian tennis player beat Felix Auger-Aliassime with the score of 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in 2 hours and 49 minutes of the final, becoming the new champion of Mutua Madrid Open 2024. Rublev also overcame his cold to offer a great level of play and overcome the Canadian in the deciding set.
With the roof closed on a rainy day in Madrid, Rublev started the match coldly, signing two consecutive double faults, totally opposite sensations to those of Felix, who started with an extra gear. This could have been a harbinger of what we would see in the final, even if the Russian didn’t completely throw in the towel. With an at times dejected attitude, Andrey had no choice but to endure his opponent’s tremendous superiority.
Accurate on serve and dominant with his forehand, Auger Aliassime accelerated tremendously to pull away in the score. It took more than 20 minutes for Rublev to enter the match, perhaps due to the cold he was suffering from, but the Russian reached the final in time to put up a little more resistance and slow down his opponent. The world number eight reflected his discomfort with his gestures, not feeling comfortable with what was happening at the Manolo Santana Stadium.
From 4-1 to one point from 5-5, the Russian significantly improved his efficiency on the clay court of Madrid, but a great Felix serving took him away from his goal. Even though the Canadian’s winners almost tripled those of Andrey, the world number eight was not as far away as it might have seemed from fighting for that first set lost 6-4. As serious as the match, Rublev tried to make up for his unforced errors to still have a chance to fight for the title.
Although neither his facial expression nor his body gestures have changed much, with Felix being encouraged to step up to the net more. Perfect on serve, at the net and even in short balls, the Canadian kept his distance with a Rublev who was in a hurry. The tension was palpable in the last games of the second set, even if Auger Aliassime did not lower the level with his serve, freeing himself more from the return looking for that final shot. This didn’t arrive, what did arrive was the Russian’s break in the 12th game to equalize the duel and take the match to the decisive set.
Taking advantage of the break in the third set to take some pills provided by the circuit doctor, Rublev recovered his energy by showing himself more active with his legs. The gestures of discomfort came from Felix who felt some cramps in his right calf. This caused more errors than expected, although not enough for Rublev to take the lead. Big serves came to the Canadian’s rescue with his opponent frustrated with the situation.
The physiotherapist came onto the pitch to quickly treat Auger Aliassime, with the emotion of the match increasing as the grand final approached, showing the Canadian’s nerves of steel when things didn’t go his way. This was the case until the last game of the match, when the pressure got the better of him. It was Rublev who started the match with a double fault, but it was Felix who ended the final with the same mistake, suffering the break and losing the match 7 to 5.
This is, without a doubt, a spectacular turning point for an Andrey who had not raised his head until this moment following his altercation in Dubai. In tennis, as the Russian himself warned, things change very quickly, and this was repeated today in the final, in which he managed to achieve an almost miraculous comeback to find his smile again on the court.
ATP Madrid
6
5
5
Andrey Rublev [7]4
7
7
Winner: Rublev
Service
Execution
Set 3
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
ace
3-3pm
30-15
30-30
df
30-40
5-6 → 5-7
F. Auger-Aliassime
0-15
3-3pm
15-30
30-30
40-30
4-5 → 5-5
A. Rublev
15-0
ace
3-3pm
30-15
40-15
ace
4-4 → 4-5
F. Auger-Aliassime
0-15
3-3pm
15-30
30-30
ace
30-40
40-40
A-40
40-40
A-40
3-4 → 4-4
F. Auger-Aliassime
0-15
0-30
15-30
30-30
40-30
2-3 → 3-3
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
3-3pm
15-30
15-40
30-40
ace
40-40
A-40
ace
1-2 → 2-2
A. Rublev
0-15
3-3pm
15-30
30-30
40-30
ace
1-1 → 1-2
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
3-3pm
15-30
30-30
40-30
40-40
40-A
40-40
40-A
40-40
ace
A-40
40-40
A-40
40-40
A-40
0-1 → 1-1
Service
Execution
Set 2
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
ace
3-3pm
15-30
15-40
30-40
5-6 → 5-7
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
30-0
40-0
40-15
df
ace
4-5 → 5-5
F. Auger-Aliassime
0-15
df
3-3pm
30-15
40-15
ace
40-30
df
3-4 → 4-4
A. Rublev
15-0
30-0
40-0
40-15
40-30
40-40
df
A-40
3-3 → 3-4
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
3-3pm
30-15
30-30
30-40
40-40
A-40
2-3 → 3-3
A. Rublev
15-0
ace
3-3pm
30-30
40-30
2-2 → 2-3
F. Auger-Aliassime
0-15
0-30
15-30
ace
30-30
40-30
ace
1-2 → 2-2
F. Auger-Aliassime
0-1 → 1-1
Service
Execution
Set 1
F. Auger-Aliassime
0-15
0-30
15-30
30-30
ace
30-40
40-40
A-40
5-4 → 6-4
A. Rublev
15-0
3-3pm
15-30
30-30
40-30
40-40
40-A
40-40
A-40
5-3 → 5-4
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
30-0
30-15
40-15
ace
40-30
40-40
A-40
4-3 → 5-3
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
ace
30-0
40-0
40-15
40-30
40-40
40-A
4-1 → 4-2
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
30-0
30-15
40-15
40-30
2-1 → 3-1
A. Rublev
0-15
df
0-30
15-30
30-30
30-40
40-40
A-40
2-0 → 2-1
F. Auger-Aliassime
15-0
30-0
30-15
40-15
ace
1-0 → 2-0
Francesco Paolo Villarico
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