ATP Rotterdam: Andrey Rublev shines again. Stefanos Tsitsipas, David Goffin bow out

Filip Krajinovic and Vasek Pospisil had deep runs in Montpellier last week, battling on Thursday in Rotterdam for another notable result during an indoor swing. The Canadian grabbed two top-10 victories in the previous ten days but will not advance into another ATP final, with Krajinovic scoring a 6-4, 7-6 triumph in an hour and 55 minutes. Vasek struggled with a knee injury but still gave his best, facing four break chances and getting broken twice, wasting eight out of nine opportunities on the return and squandering three set points in the second set to finish the campaign in the second round. The first set was decided in the final two games, with Filip scoring a break at 4-4 and fending off four break chances in the next game for a 6-4. The Serb kicked off the second set with a break, forging a 5-3 advantage and earning three match points in game ten.

Vasek fought back to repel them all and pull the break back, wasting that set point in the 12th game and two more in the tie break before Filip clinched the breaker 9-7 to seal the deal in just under two hours. The 2nd seed Stefanos Tsitsipas fall to Aljaz Bedene 7-5, 6-4 in an hour and 32 minutes, suffering the fourth loss of the season alongside only three wins. The Slovenian repelled all five break chances, stealing Stefanos' serve once in each set to secure the triumph in straight sets and his best triumph in terms of the opponent's rank. The Slovenian fended off those five break points in the second and eight games of the opener, stealing Tsitsipas' serve at 5-5 following a terrible forehand error from the Greek and closing the set with a hold at love for a 7-5. The second set offered nine comfortable service games and a break for Aljaz at 1-1 thanks to a lucky net cord, clinching the victory with a forehand down the line winner at 5-4 to reach the quarters.

The defending champion Gael Monfils took down Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-1 in an hour and 30 minutes, delivering the tenth victory in 12 matches so far in 2020. Gael lost serve twice and earned six breaks from seven chances, needing more than 50 minutes to grab the opener and rattling off five straight breaks to have the upper hand in set number two and race into the last eight. An 18-year-old Jannik Sinner scored the first top-10 victory, beating David Goffin 7-6, 7-5 in an hour and 59 minutes. The Belgian struggled against Robin Haase yesterday and couldn't overpower the youngster today, getting broken three times and losing edge in the pivotal moments to push Jannik through. The opening set lasted for almost 70 minutes, with the rivals trading breaks in the opening two games and wasting more chances in games seven and eight to reach a tie break where Sinner seized the fifth set point at 8-7 with a forehand winner.

They stayed neck and neck until 5-5 in set number two when David hit a double fault to suffer a break, allowing Jannik to seal the deal with three winners in the 12th game that propelled him into the quarters. The 7th seed Andrey Rublev toppled Alexander Bublik 7-5, 6-3 in 69 minutes for the 13th win in 14 matches in 2020. The Russian lost 16 points in ten service games, never facing a break point and stealing Bublik's serve three times to control the pace from 5-5 in the opener. The winner of two ATP titles so far this season grabbed a break at 5-5 in the first and one more at the beginning of the second, beating the coeval with another break in game nine when Alexander hit a double fault. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/31R4Sgx