Andrey Rublev overcame a second-set slump to defeat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the Canadian Open in Montreal.
The Russian started strong, overpowering the defending champion in the first set. However, his momentum was disrupted by a rain delay that lasted 30 minutes.
After the break, Sinner came back forcefully, securing the second set without facing any break points. But Rublev regained control in the third set, saving five break points in the opening game and quickly building a 3-0 lead.
Rublev maintained that lead to win the final set, securing his spot in the semi-finals. This victory marked his second of the day, having earlier defeated American qualifier Brandon Nakashima in straight sets.
Sinner also faced a doubleheader on Saturday, beating Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo. The tournament was forced to condense its schedule after Tropical Storm Debby postponed all Friday matches, causing a backlog over the weekend.
“There’s not much to say,” Rublev remarked after his win over Sinner. “Jannik is an incredible player who has been playing outstanding tennis for the past two years. I just hoped to fight hard against him and show great tennis. I think we had some amazing rallies, lots of long exchanges.”
Rublev will now face Sinner’s compatriot, Matteo Arnaldi, in the semi-finals. Arnaldi, ranked No. 46 in the world, defeated Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-5 in their quarter-final match.
The first set between Arnaldi and Nishikori was closely contested, with both players exchanging breaks and holds of serve until Arnaldi broke Nishikori in the 10th game to take the set. Arnaldi carried that momentum into the second set, quickly establishing a 3-0 lead. Nishikori fought back to level the score at 3-3, but Arnaldi ultimately broke Nishikori’s serve in the 12th game to win the match after an hour and one minute.
The other two quarter-final matches were postponed to Sunday. Second-seeded Alexander Zverev was scheduled to play Sebastian Korda, the winner of last week’s tournament in Washington, while fourth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz was set to face Alexei Popyrin.
Zverev defeated 13th-seeded Holger Rune 6-3, 7-6, and Korda triumphed over Taylor Fritz in straight sets during a second-round match that had originally been slated for Thursday. Korda advanced further when Casper Ruud withdrew due to illness.
