Andrey Rublev jokes about difficult Madrid Open draw after facing Stan Wawrinka in RD 2

Andrey Rublev was relieved to overcome a tricky second-round test at the 2023 Madrid Open against former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka on Friday. World No. 6 Rublev joked that he had easier draws in tournaments back when he was ranked much lower in the ATP rankings.

Rublev beat Wawrinka 7-5, 6-4 in what was their fourth match against each other on the tour. Three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka reached the second round after a hard-fought 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Maxime Cressy earlier this week.

Speaking after beating Wawrinka, Rublev said that he was surprised to be drawn against the Swiss in his first match despite being the fifth seed for the tournament.

"I'm happy that I'm going to the next round because when I saw the draw, I was like, it's amazing being the 5th seed and having Wawrinka in the first round," Andrey Rublev said in his on-court interview. "Sometimes I was 40 in the world and I had a much easier draw."

Rublev was wary of Wawrinka's serve amongst other things in the high-altitude conditions in Madrid and further joked that he was prepared for an early exit ahead of the match.

"To play him here with the altitude and his serve...you never know if you're going to win or not. I was thinking that maybe in a couple of days I will go very early back home," Rublev added.

Rublev will face 28th seed Yoshihito Nishioka in the third round. A quarter-final clash with world No. 2 and defending Madrid Open champion Carlos Alcaraz is also on the cards for Rublev.

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Andrey Rublev continues supreme run of form during clay season

Andrey Rublev competes at the 2023 Mutua Madrid Open.

With his win against Stan Wawrinka, Andrey Rublev improved to a 9-1 win-loss record during the 2023 clay-court swing. Rublev is aiming to reach his third consecutive final this week in Madrid.

He won his maiden Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo a few weeks ago, beating Holger Rune in the final. The 25-year-old then reached the final of the Srpska Open in Banja Luka last week, where he lost to Dusan Lajovic.

Rublev reached the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open last year, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas. He also reached the last eight at the French Open, falling to Marin Cilic in a five-set thriller.