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Andrey Rublev beat Yannik Sinner 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the semifinals of the ATP Montreal Masters, defeating the world No. 1 for the second time in his career.
The fifth seed took advantage of the Italian’s opportunities when he was at a disadvantage, with Sinner looking physically exhausted in the decider and flexing his right hip frequently.
It was Sinner and Rublev’s second match of the day, with organizers compensating for Friday’s rain-canceled match.
This week, the Italian top seed competes for the first time since Wimbledon, where he withdrew in the quarter-finals due to illness, and then missed the Paris Olympics with tonsillitis.
Rublev said that after winning the first set, his coach prepared a fast food meal for him to rejuvenate him after a 30-minute rain interruption.
“Maybe my blood sugar level was low. But my coach gave me a candy bar, I ate it, and after one match I was perfect again,” Rublev said.
“I played really well and I’m happy to win. Yannick is a great player. He’s been incredible the last two years.
“I hope to fight him and show great tennis.”
Sinner’s form plummeted in the deciding set, and after saving Rublev’s two match points, he lost the game due to a double fault.
Rublev has beaten the world number one twice and been beaten four times, and he also beat world number one Novak Djokovic two years ago in Belgrade.
Sinner defeated Canadian-born Chilean Alejandro Tabilo 6-4, 6-3 in the third round and advanced in 80 minutes to the tournament, which will end on Monday because of the Paris Olympics.
Earlier, Rublev defeated American Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 6-2 in the third round.
2019 Canadian champion and second seed Alexander Zverev overcame stiff late resistance from Dane Holger Rune to win his third-round match 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), hitting 21 winners, including eight aces.
“You’re not going to play very beautiful tennis in this kind of wind,” Zverev said. “I had to find a way to win. I did that today — and we keep going.”
Zverev leads the ATP with 49 wins this season.
Sinner has a 24-2 record on hard courts this season and qualified for the ATP Finals in Turin in November as the No. 1 seed.
Former U.S. Open runner-up Kei Nishikori continued his comeback story, saving eight of 10 break points in a 6-3, 6-4 win over Portugal’s Nuno Borges, winner of last month’s Bastard Championship.
But in the quarterfinals in Washington, Kei Nishikori lost to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 7-5 and missed his first ATP semifinal since 2021.
It was Arnaldi’s second win of the day, having advanced 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 3-0 when Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retired due to a stomach ailment.
– Hurkacz wins twice –
The second round match, which was postponed due to the epidemic, ended in the early afternoon. Hubert Hurkacz, who was gradually recovering, defeated qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6). This was the fourth seed’s first appearance after knee surgery.
Poland’s Hurkacz has not competed since he withdrew from the second round of Wimbledon with an injury and returned home for knee surgery, with doctors telling him his season was over.
“I’m just happy to be able to compete and I wasn’t that slow today,” he said. “Because it was the first race after surgery, it was a bit of an unknown.” “I feel pretty good. I spent a lot of time in the gym last week.”
The Polish player also played two matches, defeating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the night match.
Last week’s Washington champion Sebastian Korda defeated fellow American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) and then eased into the quarterfinals after sixth seed Casper Ruud withdrew due to illness.
Korda will next face Zverev.
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