Rublev Triumphs Over Sinner In Canadian Open Quarter-Final

Andrey Rublev caused an upset in the Canadian Open quarter-final by defeating Jannik Sinner in three sets. The world number one, who had withdrawn from the Olympics due to illness, appeared to struggle with a recurring hip injury. Rublev won 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in Montreal on Saturday.

In a rain-interrupted match, Rublev secured the first set before Sinner fought back to force a deciding set. However, Sinner couldn't maintain his momentum, and Rublev ended his eight-match winning streak on hard courts. "It was a really great match of mine. I was playing really well today, and I'm happy that I was able to win," Rublev said.

Rublev expressed his surprise at the victory, acknowledging Sinner's impressive performance over the past two years. "I don't know, not much to say because I still, for the moment, really don't understand what's happening because Jannik is an amazing player and he's playing unbelievable for the past two years," he added.

The Russian player highlighted the quality of their rallies during the match. "I was just hoping that I would be able to fight with him, to show great tennis. In the end, I think we had a lot of great rallies, a lot of long rallies," Rublev noted.

Rublev emphasized how special this win was for him given his challenging year. "To be able to win this kind of match, of course, it's always special. I needed those matches, especially after some bad moments this year. So, of course I'm happy," he stated.

Since the start of the 2020 season, Rublev has joined an elite group of players who have defeated the ATP's number one on multiple surfaces. This group includes Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune.

Zverev's Straight Sets Victory

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev advanced to the last eight with a straight sets victory over Holger Rune earlier on Saturday. Zverev won 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to reach his 11th ATP-level quarter-final in 2024.

Zverev's achievement is notable as he is now one of only two players to reach ten or more ATP event quarter-finals this year. The other player achieving this feat is Jannik Sinner with ten quarter-finals.

The German player's consistent performance has made him stand out this season. Excluding team events, Zverev's record highlights his strong form throughout 2024.

This victory sets up an exciting semi-final for Rublev as he will face either Matteo Arnaldi or Kei Nishikori for a place in the final.