Andrey Rublev grew so frustrated during a 7-5, 6-2 loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Finals on Wednesday that he repeatedly hit himself with his racket — so hard that he bloodied his left knee.
Quick Read
- Match Overview: Andrey Rublev lost to Carlos Alcaraz 7-5, 6-2 at the ATP Finals.
- Rublev’s Frustration: Rublev became so frustrated during the match that he repeatedly hit himself with his racket, resulting in a bloodied left knee.
- Incident Details: Rublev’s frustration boiled over when he slammed his racket on the ground and then hit himself after missing a shot, leading to a break for Alcaraz. He used a towel to wipe off the blood and later required treatment from a trainer.
- Rublev’s Reaction: Rublev acknowledged his disappointment and inability to manage his emotions during the match.
- Alcaraz’s Performance: Carlos Alcaraz, ranked second and a two-time Grand Slam champion, played at a high level, ending a three-match losing streak.
- Tournament Implications: With this loss, Rublev’s chances of advancing in the tournament were significantly reduced, while Alcaraz’s chances improved.
- Alcaraz’s Next Match: Alcaraz is set to face Daniil Medvedev next and aims to play a tactically perfect match.
- Other Matches: Daniil Medvedev will compete against Alexander Zverev, and Jannik Sinner leads the green group after defeating Novak Djokovic.
- Tournament Structure: The top two players from each group will advance to the semifinals of the season-ending event.
- Match Highlights: Alcaraz displayed remarkable skills, including a forehand cross-court passing shot and a backhand winner down the line.
- Alcaraz’s Previous ATP Finals: Alcaraz missed last year’s ATP Finals due to an abdominal injury.
The Associated Press has the story:
Rublev bloodies himself with his racket in frustration during loss to Alcaraz at ATP Finals
Newslooks- TURIN, Italy (AP)
Andrey Rublev grew so frustrated during a 7-5, 6-2 loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the ATP Finals on Wednesday that he repeatedly hit himself with his racket — so hard that he bloodied his left knee.
Rublev had already slammed his racket to the ground during the opening game of the second set. Then when the Russian missed a shot to hand Alcaraz a break, he started beating himself as he walked to his chair and then used a towel to wipe the blood off.
Blood continued to trickle down Rublev’s leg as he played on and he eventually called a trainer for treatment.
“It’s OK,” Rublev said of his knee. “I get disappointed and couldn’t manage.”
The second-ranked Alcaraz, a 20-year-old Spaniard who is already a two-time Grand Slam champion, ended an uncharacteristic three-match losing streak following defeats to Grigor Dimitrov in Shanghai, Roman Safiullin in Paris and Alexander Zverev in his debut match in Turin.
“I played such a great level,” Alcaraz said.
While Rublev was virtually eliminated after losing both of his opening matches, Alcaraz boosted his chances of advancing from the round robin stage at the season-ending event for the year’s top eight players.
Alcaraz will next face Daniil Medvedev.
“The key against Medvedev is to play a perfect match — tactically,” Alcaraz said.
Later in the red group, Medvedev will meet Zverev for the 18th time.
Jannik Sinner leads the green group with two wins following his victory over Novak Djokovic on Tuesday.
The top two finishers in each four-man group advance to the semifinals.
In a first career meeting, it was a tight first set until Alcaraz broke for a 6-5 lead. Then Rublev was left fuming when the opening point of the next game had to be replayed after his shot was called wide. The call was overturned on review after it was shown that the shot had landed on the line.
Rublev called it an “unlucky call.”
“But it’s part of the sport,” he said. “It happens every match. … Just happen that it was important (point).”
In the next game, Rublev bloodied himself.
As the second set wore on, Alcaraz began producing one highlight after another. Like when he hit a forehand cross-court passing shot as he was in the process of falling down. Or when he pulled off a backhand winner down the line from far off court on the run a couple of games later.
Alcaraz missed last year’s ATP Finals because of an abdominal injury.
