Madrid Open: Rublev sets final showdown with Auger-Aliassime

Andrey Rublev on Friday produced a commanding semi-final display to down Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 and reach his fifth Masters 1000 championship match. The powerful combination of Rublev’s serve and forehand proved too much for the World No. 13 Fritz, and he wrapped up an impressive victory after just 73 minutes.

The win for the seventh seed continued a remarkable return to form for Rublev, who arrived in Madrid off the back of four straight tour-level defeats. He will take on Jiri Lehecka or Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday’s final as he looks to lift his second ATP Tour crown of the year.

“Mentally I was feeling much better and I was able to perform,” said Rublev, when asked what had changed upon arriving in Madrid. “Putting emotions in the right direction. For sure it has helped me to reach the final. Without this, I would not be in the final.”

With his win, Rublev improved to 4-5 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Fritz. Despite semi-final defeat, the American will take confidence from reaching a Masters 1000 semi-final on clay for the second consecutive year after his 2023 Monte-Carlo run, which was also ended by Rublev.

Felix Auger-Aliassime will play Andrey Rublev in Sunday’s championship match at the Mutua Madrid Open. The Canadian advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final after Jiri Lehecka was forced to retire just seven games into the pair’s last-four clash Friday in the Spanish capital.

The 30th-seeded Lehecka, who withdrew from Monte-Carlo and Barcelona last month with a right vertebrae issue, clutched his lower back in pain during the sixth game of the night session semi-final. After Auger-Aliassime held serve for 3-3, Lehecka left court for treatment from the physio. He tried to continue playing upon his return, but called proceedings to a halt three points later.

A former No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Auger-Aliassime will chase the biggest title of his career when he takes on Rublev at the Caja Magica in the pair’s sixth tour-level meeting. Rublev,