Rublev Overcomes Illness to Capture Maiden Madrid Open Title
In a triumphant display of resilience, Andrey Rublev overcame illness and a first-set deficit to capture his maiden Madrid Open title, defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime in a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 battle. The Russian world number eight, who had been battling a fever in the lead-up to Sunday’s final, looked out of sorts early on as he trailed 4-1 in the opening set. However, the determined Rublev fought his way back into the match, staging a remarkable comeback to clinch the title.
“I have no words,” Rublev said after the victory. “If you knew what I had been through in the past nine days, you would not imagine that I would be able to win a title.”
The 26-year-old revealed that he had been through a grueling ordeal, barely sleeping for the last three to four days and crediting the doctors for their efforts in keeping him on the court.
Rublev’s triumph marks his second Masters 1,000 tournament win, a significant achievement that will serve as a confidence boost ahead of the upcoming French Open. The Canadian Auger-Aliassime, world number 35, had a notable run to the final, benefiting from the retirement of his semi-final opponent Jiri Lehecka and the withdrawal of world number two Jannik Sinner prior to their quarter-final clash. However, the 23-year-old was ultimately undone by a double fault on match point, unable to overcome Rublev’s determined performance.
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