Andrey Rublev Seals the 7th Spot at ATP Finals 2020 With His Vienna Open Triumph

Andrey Rublev continued his stupendous 2020 form by sealing his fifth title of the season at ATP Vienna Open. The Russian got over Novak Djokovic conqueror Lorenzo Sonego. It was a routine straight-sets victory for Rublev and the scorecard read – 6-4, 6-4. With this victory, Rublev will be playing in the Nitto ATP Tour Finals for the first time in his career.

Both the finalists came into the match defeating the top seeds. Rublev took out defending champion Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals and Lorenzo Sonego stunned World No.1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Rublev didn’t drop a set en-route to the title. 42nd ranked Sonego has performed above excellence in Vienna. But with Rublev acing at every opportunity he gets, the Russian was a tough ask for Lorenzo Sonego.

Andrey Rublev vs Lorenzo Sonego: First Set

The match started off on a subtle note as both the players looked comfortable. The match was quick in nature as the rallies were shorter. Rublev powered through with his strong forehand strokes and Sonego countered with his variations. Rublev’s serve was unreturnable. The Russian started the match with 10 consecutive points on his serve. By the time Sonego had taken his first points of Rublev’s serve, he was a break down at 4-2. It was an easy set for Rublev as he sealed the first set 6-4 in just over 30 minutes.

Second Set

There was a visible change here from Sonego. The Italian youngster played near the net more frequently which earned him some important points. Rublev was still dominating most of the rallies. Sonego was yet to find the key to unlock Rublev’s serve. At 3-3, Sonego had started to find his groove with a couple of aces and strong angled forehands.

But Rublev constantly attacked Sonego’s backhand. And with quick direction changes, Rublev actually had no troubles. One spot that troubled Rublev was the return balls falling close to the baseline, but Sonego couldn’t use this more often as he lacked the accuracy. Yet with this heavy attacking display, the second set remained equally poised till 4-4. But an exhausted Sonego had to give up as Rublev broke to serve for the title at 5-4. Later the Russian didn’t hesitate and sealed the match 6-4, 6-4.

With his fifth title, Rublev has now won the most titles in 2020. In the ATP 500 tournaments, Rublev has now won 15 straight matches. He is unbeaten in his last five finals and now presents a fresh challenge for the ATP Tour Finals.