Andrey Rublev says he's "really happy" to make maiden 4R at Wimbledon, claims he didn't expect his RG campaign to end so early
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev booked a place in the second week of Wimbledon for the first time in his career with a four-set victory over 26th-seeded Fabio Fognini on Friday.
Although Fognini put up a strong challenge, Rublev was able to maintain his composure for most of the encounter. During his on-court interview after the victory, Rublev lavished praise on Fognini and said it was "super tough" to stay with the Italian in the longer rallies.
"Of course, I'm really happy, first time in the fourth round. Fabio is super tough to play against, it's really tough to beat him. He's really talented and can beat anyone when he's playing at a good level. Super tough match with long rallies," Rublev said.
"I'm happy I'm finally winning matches" - Andrey Rublev on his Wimbledon run
Rublev is unsurprisingly happy with his campaign at SW19, considering this is the first time he has advanced beyond the second round. The Russian said he hopes his playing style can continue to reap rewards on the Wimbledon grass.
"I hope my style is great for grass. I didn't really play that many times at Wimbledon. Basically [it's] only my second time when I'm in the main draw. I'm happy I'm finally winning matches, in the second week, so we'll see what happens next," Rublev said.
Rublev entered Wimbledon on the back of a runner-up finish in Halle. Prior to his run in the German city, the Russian suffered an unceremonious first-round exit at Roland Garros.
Rublev said his early exit from Paris took him by surprise, and admitted he had to quickly shift his focus to Halle as he did not want to go two weeks without competitive action.
"First of all, I didn't expect my Roland Garros journey would end so fast (laughs). After Roland Garros, I was going to play Halle, so it was so fast for me (being out of RG). [I didn't want] two weeks without competing, so I went to Halle," Rublev said.
The Russian admitted he had missed the atmosphere at the All England Club and expressed his delight at playing in front of packed crowds once again.
"Enjoying, especially the atmosphere is amazing to play with full crowd, something I was missing a lot. You can see people walking here, you feel good," Rublev said.
Rublev will next face Marton Fucsovics for a place in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.