WATCH: Andrey Rublev's bemused reaction to Stefanos Tsitsipas' snarky comments on Russian's game after their ATP Finals match
Andrey Rublev wore a confused look as he tried to make sense of Stefanos Tsitsipas' comments on his game after their knockout match in the ATP Finals on Friday. Rublev emerged victorious in a three-set battle after losing the first set and proceeded to the semifinals as Tsitsipas bowed out of the year-end championship.
After the match, Tsitsipas claimed that Rublev was able to win with a "few tools" at his disposal, also stating that he was the better player on the night but just wasn't able to make the most of his opportunities against the Russian. Rublev won 6-2 in the third set.
When informed about Tsitsipas' comments in his post-match press conference, the Russian player was bemused initially as he tried to make sense of it all.
Andrey’s First reaction to “ the tools” comment 😂😂😂
https://t.co/bm2EQAgSiT
After understanding the full meaning of Tsitsipas' comments, Rublev went on to counter those claims, highlighting that his backhand, forehand, and serve are all better than Tsitsipas's. Rublev then said that he believes Tsitsipas is a better player because the Greek star has achieved more than him and is higher-ranked, but hit back at Tsitsipas' "few tools" claim. The 25-year-old further stressed that he and Tsitsipas have always had hard-fought battles on the court.
"I don't know if I have few tools or no," Andrey Rublev said. "If I go shot by shot, I think his backhand is not better than mine, his forehand is not better than mine, the speed serve is not better than mine. He's faster and he plays much better in it. But if we go shot by shot, I don't think that."
"Obviously he's the better player because he's higher ranked and he achieved better results, it's obvious, there is no doubt. But I don't think I beat him because of few tools. If you take our every match, we have tough battles," he added.
In his assessment of the match, World No. 3 Tsitsipas opined that Rublev won because he was able to take full advantage of his few tools, not because he was better overall.
"I feel like the better player," Tsitsipas said in his post-match press conference. "I felt like I could do more with the ball today. I felt like I could just be much more creative. I don't even have to say that. I think it's quite obvious. But, yeah, he prevailed with the few tools that he has. He was able to really take advantage of them and win today."
Andrey Rublev faces Casper Ruud in semifinals of 2022 ATP Finals
In his third appearance at the ATP Finals, Andrey Rublev has reached the semifinals for the first time. Earlier this week, Rublev defeated countryman Daniil Medvedev 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(7) in a thrilling match. He wasted six set points in the opening set before losing it in a tiebreaker but then mounted a stunning comeback to start his campaign with a win. The sixth seed then lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets, before beating Tsitsipas in a winner-takes-all match.
Andrey Rublev will face Casper Ruud in the second semifinal on Saturday, with both players looking for their maiden final at the season-ending championships. Rublev has four wins in five matches against Ruud, but the Norwegian won their group-stage match in the ATP Finals last year.