WHAT HAPPENED: The sun was beating down on Court 5, and No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev and Serbia's Laslo Djere brought some heat of their own in their Round 1 encounter at the US Open.
In 3 hours, 41 minutes, Rublev beat Djere in five sets, 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4 in their first meeting on a hard court.
Tuesday’s match was their second career meeting on tour after a quarterfinal in Bastad last month, which Rublev won in straight sets–but Djere wasn’t about to let his opponent win that easily again. The world No. 64 came out strong, acing his Top 15-opponent in the first serve of the day–his first of 16 on the afternoon–and they both held their serves until the Serb broke Rublev in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead.
Djere's early edge was soon thwarted by Rublev's ability to get more returns in, make fewer unforced errors and save more break points. A 22-point service hold at 5-5 in the opener was a highlight for Djere.
Soon, though, the tables turned. In the third set, the two held their own serves until the eigth game, when Djere forced a break for a 5-3 lead, then won his service game to take the set, 6-3, in 34 minutes.
After a break between the third and fourth sets, Djere returned to the court ready to solidify a comeback. He broke Rublev, who fought back for a break of his own. Although the crowd originally seemed to favor Rublev, New York loves a comeback, and cheered when the Serb managed another break to lead 5-4 and take the match the distance.
Rublev started the fifth set fighting for the chance to punch his ticket to Round 2, but couldn’t break the underdog until a double fault enabled a 4-2 lead that eventually allowed him to take the fifth set, 6-4, and claim the match.
WHAT IT MEANS: Rublev moves on to play Kwon Soonwoo of South Korea, who defeated lucky loser Fernando Verdasco of Spain during their midday match on Court 14.
Rublev made it to or beyond the second round four times in the past five years, and reached Round 3 in Queens last year, losing in five sets to Frances Tiafoe. The 24-year-old has taken home three trophies on the tour this year – two of them on hard courts – at Marseille, Dubai and Belgrade, where he beat Novak Djokovic.
Rublev has played Kwon before, beating him in Round 2 of Dubai and Rotterdam on hard courts and Round 1 at Roland Garros on clay.
MATCH POINT: Rublev has reached the quarterfinals twice in his seven trips to Flushing, losing both times to current or future US Open champions: Rafael Nadal in 2017 and Daniil Medvedev in 2020.
