'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Andrey Rublev heaped praise on Grigor Dimitrov for his selflessness during their 2023 Shanghai Masters contest.
On Saturday, October 14, Rublev and Dimitrov locked horns in the semifinals of the Masters 1000 event in China. The Russian saved a set point in the first set and rallied from a 0-2 deficit in the second set to defeat Dimitrov 7-6 (7), 6-3 and book his spot in the final.
One notable moment in the match came in the tiebreak of the first set, when Rublev, leading 3-2, hit an unreturned first serve. Dimitrov argued with the chair umpire as he believed that the ball clipped the net on the serve and it wasn't called a let.
Though Rublev offered to replay the point, Dimitrov declined, stating that it wasn't his fault but the tournament's and the match official's.
In his on-court interview after the match, Rublev spoke about how it was always difficult for him to face a friend on the court, as he is left with mixed emotions afterwards.
"It's not easy when you win matches against friends because you feel both sides. You feel sad, but at the same time, you want to win. So it's like a mixture of the feelings. But I don't know," he said.
He also praised the Bulgarian for essentially gifting him the first set in the tiebreak after the contentious call.
"I feel really sorry for the situation as the tiebreak at 3-2 because it was the let and I wanted to reply the point and Grigor, I don't know, he behaved like a real champion and said, 'No it's not about you,' but so he gave me the point basically. And basically, maybe because of this point I was able to win the tiebreak," Andrey Rublev added.
Andrey Rublev to face Hubert Hurkacz in Shanghai Masters 2023 final
Hubert Hurkacz now stands between Andrey Rublev and the 2023 Shanghai Masters title.
In the other semifinal of the Masters 1000 event, Hurkacz produced a serving masterclass to defeat Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 in just 77 minutes. His 14 aces against the American took his tally in Shanghai to 77, the most in the draw.
Rublev hasn't lost a set this fortnight and will be hoping to come out on top when he takes on Hurkacz in Sunday's final. The two are tied 2-2 in their head-to-head, with the Russian winning their two most recent encounters in Dubai and Indian Wells last year.
