“Hopefully, I will keep improving & showing this level during the rest of the season” – Rublev has Turin on his mind

Rublev climbs to No 5 in the world rankings after his runner-up finish in Shanghai

Andrey Rublev at the ATP Shanghai Masters 2023 Image Credit: Andy Wong/AP/SIPA

October 15, 2023

Andrey Rublev had never been closer to winning a second ATP Masters Series title as he had been against Hubert Hurkacz in Shanghai on Sunday. The Russian earned a match point late in third set tiebreaker before going down to the Pole 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8) in a thrilling final.

Despite his frustration at the end of the match and the disappointment apparent on his face, Rublev told the media in his press conference after the match that he will try to take the positives out of the week.

“The positive things I can take, the level that I was playing all this tournament, that I did one more final of 1000 Masters, which is not happening always,” the 25-year-old said. “So those things I can take for sure as a positive thing to keep basically working the same way because the last months, I felt that I’m doing everything right, I’m playing well, it’s just matter of time when I will be able to show this game on the tournament. Shanghai was the first tournament where I was able to show this kind of level on a tournament, so hopefully, I will keep on improving and keep showing this level during the rest of the season.”

“I still have two more tournaments. The goal is to qualify to Turin” – Rublev

The runner-up finish this week will move Rublev back to No 5 in the world rankings and keeps him in fifth position in the Race to Turin (the top 4 have already qualified). The Russian has two more events lined up in his chase to make the cut in Turin but insists he is not raising any expectations about the last leg of the season.

“No expectation, just to keep practicing, to keep doing every day as best as I can to try to qualify for Turin, and then we’ll see what’s going to happen. I still have two more tournaments. The goal is to qualify to Turin, so hopefully, I will be able to show great game in Vienna and Paris, and we’ll see if I will make it to Turin or not, and if I will make it, then I have one more tournament.”