Hamburg European Open 2022: 3 factors which stood out in Francisco Cerundolo's 2R win over Andrey Rublev
Francisco Cerundolo beat second seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Hamburg European Open on Thursday to move into the quarterfinals. The match lasted for an hour and 32 minutes.
ON FIRE 🔥
Bastad champ @FranCerundolo upsets No.2 seed Rublev to make the @hamburgopen last 8! https://t.co/2Uzq9GuKpo
The 23-year-old extended his winning streak to seven matches with Thursday’s win. He will face Aslan Karatsev in the quarterfinals on Friday.
On that note, let’s take a look at three factors that stood out in the match:
#1 Andrey Rublev was off to a great start to the match
The 24-year-old Rublev was off to a flying start and broke the Argentine in the second game of the first set en route to winning the first three games. However, Cerundolo did not play badly and showed glimpses of his brilliance in winning a few points through winners.
Andrey Rublev engaged in frequent crosscourt backhand exchanges from the very beginning, but Cerundolo held his own during rallies. However, the initial momentum was with the Russian as he looked good for a victory in the first set.
#2 Francisco Cerundolo bounced back superbly to win the first set
Cerundolo bounced back in great fashion by breaking Rublev in the fifth game of the first set to reduce the deficit to 2-3. However, Rublev broke back in the very next game to lead 4-2. Cerundolo then won four consecutive games to win the first set, breaking the Russian twice in the process.
Cerundolo played a few exquisite drop shots to drag the Russian into the net, put pressure on him and win points. He also played a few down-the-line backhand winners and broke Rublev thrice in the opening set.
#3 Francisco Cerundolo asserted his supremacy in the match by winning the second set convincingly
Cerundolo did not take his foot off the pedal in the second set and utilized his momentum to demolish the Russian. He broke Rublev in the first and fifth games of the second set and never lost his serve.
Cerundolo played some wonderful inside-in forehands in the second set to keep Rublev moving towards his right. That tactic paid off well, as the Russian struggled to hit his much-feared forehand with enough power.
Andrey Rublev’s second serve was often punished in the match, as the Russian could only 30% of the points on it. Cerundolo, in comparison, won 56% of the points on his second serve and broke the Russian five times out of 12 opportunities throughout the match to secure a spot in the last eight in Hamburg.