Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev will be squaring off for the 11th time in their careers, for the third time this season, and for the third time at the Nitto ATP Finals when they meet again in what amounts to a quarterfinal contest on Friday night.
Tsitsipas leads the head-to-head series 6-4, including 2-0 in 2022. He has won each of their two encounters this year in straight sets; 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the Madrid quarterfinals and 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on the indoor hard courts of Astana. They have split their two previous Nitto ATP Finals clashes; Tsitsipas survived a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(6) thriller two years ago in London before Rublev rolled 6-4, 6-4 last fall in Turin.
That 2021 opening match at the year-end championship can be thrown out the window, as Tsitsipas was dealing with an elbow injury and withdrew from the tournament immediately thereafter. The third-ranked Greek is in much different form this time around. His fall swing includes runner-up performances in Astana and Stockholm plus a semifinal showing in Paris (lost to Novak Djokovic in a third-set tiebreaker). Tsitsipas fell to Djokovic 6-4, 7-6(4) to begin his week in Turin but bounced back to beat Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-7(11), 7-6(1).
Rublev’s week has been almost the same, outlasting Medvedev in a third-set tiebreaker and losing to Djokovic in straight sets. Unsurprisingly, however, the world No. 7’s level has been much less impressive than that of Tsitsipas.
The only concern for Tsitsipas is his tough battle against Medvedev on Wednesday, but at the same time it gives him a ton of momentum and a day off in between matches should have him completely recovered.
Pick: Tsitsipas in 2
Tsitsipas in 3
Should be a great match…Rublev in 3.
Rublev is having a hard time of it.
Looks like Tsitsi will win in straights.
Y can’t Rublev get his second serve fixed? It’s a real liability.
Now Tsitsi is falling apart.
Talk about the opposite of clutch…
Really honestly that was a terrible choke from Tsitsi. He is a head case and almost certainly needs a new coach.
Bet Ruud is happier to play Rublev who is so much more limited. I didn’t think he would make the final but am not sure now.
I think so too, Tsitsi needs an extra coach or a new one. His tactical choices, his BH and his mentality all require a reset. He’s in a hole, playing like a loser.
Yes Eugene. Also he hit a ball towards his box last night! There is clearly way too much tension with his family coaching. Not just his father but his mother as well.
He has shown massive tension on court off and on all year.
The way his level suddenly dropped dramatically last night was symptomatic of how he is on a regular basis now.