Hubert Hurkacz reflects on shock Andrey Rublev win

Top-ranked Pole Hubert Hurkacz couldn't hide his happiness after stunning Andrey Rublev to make his maiden Masters final. 

Hurkacz, seeded at No. 26, handed a 6-3 6-4 loss to fourth-seeded Rublev in the Miami Masters semifinal on Friday night. 

“It means a lot, especially after winning a title at the beginning of the year, I had a couple of rough matches,” Hurkacz said in his on-court interview, per the ATP website. "So I’m so happy that I came over and I was still trying to improve my game and trying to be a better player. This is really huge for me."

Hurkacz got off to a fast start to the match, having taken a 5-1 lead. 

Rublev got one break back and reduced the deficit to 5-3 but Hurkacz served out for the opener in the ninth game. 

In the second set, Hurkacz broke Rublev in the opening game of the set and then held on to his serve to wrap up a straight-set win. 

“I think now I'm in the moment,” Hurkacz claimed. “I'm just trying, and obviously super happy to be where I am now, but now we try to prepare as best as we can with [coach Craig Boynton] for that final match on Sunday.”

Hurkacz plays Jannik Sinner in the final

“We played doubles together last week in Dubai,” Hurkacz said. “Now we’re playing in the final of a Masters 1000 event, so it’s going to be a fun match.”

Hurkacz has nothing but good to say of Sinner ahead of their clash. 

“Jannik is a great person. I think like [he’s] super, super calm and super chill, and also he's a good person,” Hurkacz said. “We joke around. We are good friends, so I wish him well.

“I think every single match was very tough. [I am] super pumped I was able to come through all of those matches.”

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/31Hdh6S