HAPLESS! Andrey Rublev Upsets Top-Seed Daniil Medvedev at Cincinnati Open 2021 Semifinals

The first semifinal in the men’s singles category at the Cincinnati Open saw an all-Russian battle. Top seed Daniil Medvedev faced Andrey Rublev with both players looking to build momentum ahead of the US Open.

For the first time since 2009, all the top four seeds are competing in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open. Although Rublev carries good form, his head-to-head with Medvedev was heavily one-sided at 0-4.

In a closely-fought contest, Rublev punched his ticket to the final, with the scoreline reading 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Daniil Medvedev vs Andrey Rublev: Set 1

Medvedev won the coin toss and chose to receive first. This meant Rublev served the opening game of the set, and held his serve to go 1-0 up. However, the World No. 2 took the next two game, breaking Rublev’s serve to go 2-1 up.

The 25-year-old didn’t stop there, breaking Rublev‘s serve once again to go 4-1 up. Although Rublev broke his compatriot’s serve in the next game to reduce the arrears, Medvedev returned the favor to go 5-2 up.

The top seed closed out the first set in emphatic fashion, scoring a love service game to clinch the set 6-2.

Medvedev vs Rublev: Set 2

Rublev once again began serving the first game of the set. However, the third game saw major drama unfold as Medvedev crashed into a camera while attempting to return during the end of the game.

After a heated argument and a medical timeout, play finally resumed after both players returned to the court. While they held their serves for the first seven games of the set, Rublev finally made a breakthrough in the eighth game.

The eighth game was the longest of the entire match, with eight deuces taking up a chunk of time. However, when he got his fourth break point in the game, Rublev made no mistake to go 5-3 up. Although Medvedev had a break point in the very next game, Rublev saved it and clinched the set 6-3. This was the first time the 23-year-old won a set against Medvedev.

Medvedev vs Rublev: Set 3

The deciding set began with neither Medvedev nor Rublev getting a break in the first six games. However, Rublev broke the 25-year-old’s serve in the seventh game to take a crucial 4-3 lead.

And he clinched the set, and a place in the final in stunning fashion, breaking Medvedev’s serve once again to take the set 6-3. This marked his first victory against the World No. 2 in five meetings. He will face either Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

READ MORE: Unorthodox but Effective: The Mystery Behind Daniil Medvedev’s Style of Play