Andrey Rublev will face Australian Open semi-finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in his first Masters 1000 final on Sunday.
While Rublev defeated Casper Ruud of Norway 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinal of the Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday, Tsitsipas charged past Dan Evans 6-1, 6-2 in an hour and nine minutes.
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There was no let down for the sixth-seeded Russian, a day on from his victory over 11-time former champion Rafael Nadal.
Rublev improved to an ATP Tour-best 24-4 match record on the season by hitting 21 winners past Ruud for victory in 80 minutes at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
Finishing with a flourish ✨@AndreyRublev97 | #RolexMCMasterspic.twitter.com/DhUEzX67Ms
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 17, 2021
“It is an amazing feeling. It is my first [ATP Masters 1000] final, so I am really happy,” Rublev said in his post-match interview. “We will see what is going to happen [in the final]. I will try to do my best.”
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Earlier in the day, Tsitsipas defeated Novak Djokovic’s conqueror Evans to reach his first Masters 1000 final for almost two years. He last played the summit clash at the 2019 Madrid Open.
“I am indeed pleased with the performance,” Tsitsipas said in his post-match interview.
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“I found ways to play at my best. It was really difficult to maintain my level of consistency and I am really happy I managed to deal with all the different moments during the match. I had a lot of opportunities to hit the forehand, and think how I wanted to construct the point.”
Though Tsitsipas and Rublev are firmly in the men’s top-10, neither of them has yet won a Masters title.
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Rublev beat the 22-year-old Greek 6-3, 7-6(2) last month en route to the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament title in Rotterdam. They are tied at 3-3 in head-to-head record, and have won one win each on clay in 2020 at Roland Garros and the Hamburg European Open.
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