Rublev makes winning start at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

  DUBAI - Andrey Rublev has advanced to the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after a winning start to his bid for a second title in two weeks by defeating Daniel Evans 6-4 7-5 on Tuesday (February 22). "I'm coming here from indoor. I arrive at 2am to the hotel. I was playing the same day. I was thinking I have no chance," said Rublev. The number two seed arrived in Dubai in the early hours of Tuesday morning after winning both the singles and doubles titles in Marseille, the first time in his career that he has claimed both titles in the same week. But he showed no sign of fatigue during a high quality performance in which he was challenged admirably by Evans. "Now, I don't know, I win the match. I'm super happy because I didn't expect this. Was good rallies, many good points. In the end I win the match and now I'm really happy," Rublev said. Rublev needed two attempts to take the opening set, breaking to lead 5-3, allowing Evans to break back but then breaking serve again at 5-4. In the second set, Evans broke to lead 2-1 but immediately dropped his own serve at love. Evans then came under immense pressure as the set moved to its climax, with Rublev holding four match points on Evans' serve at 5-4 before closing out the match with his seventh match point at 6-5. ICA/Expat Media
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