MONTE-CARLO, April 16 (silubaba) -- Russia's Andrey Rublev captured one of the most important victories of his career in the final of the ATP Monte-Carlo Masters here on Sunday, coming from one set down and overcoming a 4-1 deficit in the decider to outlast in-form Holger Rune 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 to win his first Masters 1000 event title.
The fifth seed fired an ace at 40-15 in the 12th game of the third set to wrap up the victory after a two-hour-34-minute tough fight on the red clay of Court Rainier III.
"I have tears. I don't know what to say. Trailing 1-4, 0-30, then saving break points, thinking there is no chance to win. But somehow I did it," said the 25-year-old, who blasted down 34 winners en route to the 13th title of his career.
It was Rublev's third appearance at a Masters event final, after losing the previous two in Monte Carlo and Cincinnati, both in 2021.
"I was hoping deep inside that I would have one chance," Rublev said. "Play until the end. I remember the previous finals and when I was losing I thought I'd have no chance and mentally I was going down. But today I thought, 'Just believe until the end', and this is what I was trying to do in the third set, hoping I would have an extra chance to come back and what a way to do it."
Both players made a fast start in the opening set, but Rune was more resistant as the Dane saved seven of the eight break points he faced, upset Rublev before breaking in the 12th game to take the set.
Rublev responded quickly in the second, winning an overwhelming 90% of the first-serve points and broke the sixth seed twice to level.
The 19-year-old Rune, aiming for his second Masters event title, raced to a 4-1 lead in the third set and earned himself a break point in the sixth game. But it was the moment that Rublev started his impressive fight-back. He saved two break points and clawed back step by step with his powerful and aggressive hitting.
However, Rune lost his nerve at 5-5 when he struck a double fault to hand a decisive break to his opponent, who then served for the match with no mercy.
Earlier in the doubles final, Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek saved two match points to overcome Romain Arneodo and Sam Weissborn 6-0, 4-6, 14-12 to clinch their first Masters 1000 crown as a team. ■
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