PETE ZIEBRON in CINCINNATI
Andrey Rublev keeps winning in Cincinnati. Pete Ziebron Images
Qualifier Andrey Rublev defeated 16th seed Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-4 on Stadium Court 3 in a match that defies the final statistics.
For starters, neither player hit a double fault in the eighty four minute match. Wawrinka struck eleven aces and Rublev did not manage to hit even a single ace in the contest.
Rublev won just three points on Wawrinka’s first serve (3/24, 12%) compared to the fourteen points that Wawrinka won on Rublev’s first serve (14/38, 37%).
Wawrinka won twenty two return points in the match compared to sixteen for Rublev.
However, Rublev was able to win the bigger points in the match as Wawrinka was not able to break serve in five opportunities (0/5) while Rublev was perfect in both of his break chances (2/2).
Prior to breaking Wawrinka at 3-all in the opening set, Rublev saved both break points against his serve to take a 4-3 led. These would be the only opportunities that the Swiss had to break in the opening set as Rublev held comfortably in his next two service games to take the set at 6-4.
The Russian would break Wawrinka early in the second set at 1-all to take a lead he never relinquished despite some drama when he served at 3-2. In this game, Rublev saved three break points against in a sixteen point game to lead 4-2. In his final two service games, Rublev lost just one point.
Andrey Rubley has won four matches in the last five days in Cincinnati and advances to the third round to play Roger Federer on Thursday.
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