No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia rolled over Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-3 on Friday to move into the Shanghai Masters semifinals.
Rublev converted five of 10 break chances and saved three of four, finishing the 91-minute match with 14 winners and only six unforced errors. Humbert, the No. 32 seed, had 15 winners and 12 unforced errors but won only 21 of 40 points on his first serve.
Rublev won five straight games in the opening set and broke Humbert’s serve three times in the second set to take a 3-2 edge in their head-to-head series.
Humbert defeated Rublev earlier this month in Beijing.
“The match in Beijing, both of us played great tennis and I had chances. I was serving for the match. He was playing really well that match and I tried to analyse what I did wrong that match,” Rublev said. “I tried to not make the same mistakes today and I did really well. I am happy to win in straight sets. I played a great match and I am happy to win today.”
Up next for Rublev in is quest for the ATP 1000 title is No. 18 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, who followed his fourth-round upset of top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory against No. 22 Nicolas Jarry of Chile in Friday’s quarterfinals.
“It is going to be a tough match,” Rublev said of facing Dimitrov. “He is a friend and I like him and he is a really great player. It is really tough to beat him when he is in this form. This week he is playing really well.”
Dimitrov (11) and Jarry (13) both struck double-digit aces and served well throughout the 1-hour, 39-minute match. Dimitrov never faced a break point and recorded the match’s only service break in the seventh game of the second set.
Dimitrov made just three unforced errors and hit 19 winners, compared to 27 winners and 14 unforced errors by Jarry.
“I think there were many components going the right way today,” said Dimitrov, who lost only four points on his first serve. “For me, he is one of the best servers right now. I’ve played him a couple of times, and I feel like every time it gets tougher and tougher to return against him. In the most important moments, I was able to be just solid, nothing else.”
If Rublev, 25, can win the tournament, he will climb to a career-high No. 4 world ranking on Monday.
Saturday’s other semifinal pits No. 16 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.
–Field Level Media
