In a rain-disrupted quarterfinal at the Omnium Banque National présenté par Rogers in Montreal, Andrey Rublev triumphed over World No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner in a hard-fought three-set battle on Saturday.
Rublev’s 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 win propelled him to eighth place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, moving ahead of Stefanos Tsitsipas as the competition for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals intensifies.
Rublev Triumphs Over Injured Sinner in a Thrilling Rain-Interrupted Match
Sinner appeared to be hampered by a right-hip injury throughout the match, especially in the deciding set. The Italian, who has struggled with this issue for much of the 2024 season, did not call for a trainer but was seen massaging his hip during changeovers and leaning heavily on his racquet after several grueling rallies. Before the third set began, his coach, Darren Cahill, was overheard advising Sinner to seek medical attention if necessary.
“It was a great match for me. I was playing well today, and I’m happy I could win,” Rublev said after the match. “Jannik is an incredible player, and he’s been playing at an unbelievable level for the past two years. I just wanted to fight and show great tennis. We had a lot of intense rallies, and to win this kind of match is always special, especially after some tough moments this year.”
After a rain delay of about an hour, Rublev capitalized on a brief window of dry weather to claim the first set with powerful baseline shots. The opening set, which lasted just 39 minutes, was followed by a half-hour rain delay. When play resumed, Sinner came roaring back, dominating the second set without facing a break point.
The Italian started the third set strong, creating five break points in the first game, but Rublev saved them all and quickly jumped to a 3-0 lead. Rublev then maintained his composure to secure the victory, ending Sinner’s eight-match winning streak on hard courts, which had extended back to his title win in Miami in March. This victory improved Rublev’s Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Sinner to 3-5 and marked his second win over a reigning World No. 1; he had previously defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2022 Belgrade final.
Both Rublev and Sinner had played earlier in the day, with Rublev defeating Brandon Nakashima to complete quarterfinal appearances at all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. Sinner, meanwhile, had secured his spot in the Nitto ATP Finals by overcoming Alejandro Tabilo.
Next, Rublev will face Matteo Arnaldi, who closed out Saturday’s action with a 6-4, 7-5 win against a resurgent Kei Nishikori. The 23-year-old Arnaldi, who has reached his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal and second tour-level semifinal overall, has climbed 17 places to No. 29 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings this week, setting himself up for a career-high ranking.
Arnaldi saved four of six break points against Nishikori and converted five of nine break opportunities, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He excelled in the crucial moments, winning the final two games of each set to secure a milestone victory.
