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It was third time lucky for Andrey Rublev in Toronto as he registered his first-ever match win at the National Bank Open on Wednesday. The Russian, who had failed in his two previous appearances at the Canadian Masters, did well to fend off Fabio Fognini in their second-round match last night.
Speaking to Tennis Channel after the match, Rublev said the fact that he had not played in a Tour-level event since Wimbledon meant he was fresh and motivated to do well.
"I didn't play on the Tour since Wimbledon, so I had a bit of an off [because of the Olympics]. At the Olympics, I was playing mixed so I was still practising, but I was missing to compete on the Tour. Now that I am finally back, I feel pumped," Rublev said.
Rublev admitted he got off to a bit of a slow start against Fognini, but started to feel more confident after winning a tight first-set tiebreak. The fourth seed, who was given a first-round bye, said he needed some time to adjust to the conditions as opposed to his Italian opponent, who had already played a match in Toronto.
"Fabio [Fognini] is an amazing player, super talented and you know it was my first match here. He had already played the first round and was more used to the conditions," Rublev added. "It was a bit tough for me in the beginning, [but] little by little I started playing a little better. After the first set, which I managed to win, I started to feel more confident."
Rublev will take on big-serving John Isner in the third round on Thursday. The Russian, who lost to Isner in the Madrid Open earlier this year, is aiming to reach his first quarter-final since Halle in June.
When asked about the prospect of facing the towering American, Rublev shook his head and said it was "like going to the casino."
"I feel like I'm going to the casino when I play him. You go and put all (your chips) on red or black and it's 50-50. We'll see what going to happen," Rublev said.
"After the Olympic Games, it is easier to play here" - Andrey Rublev on playing in tough conditions in Tokyo
During the interaction, Rublev also spoke about the conditions in Toronto. The Russian explained that the windy conditions made things a little tricky for the players. Rublev did, however, admit that "it was a bit easier to play here" after having experienced the hot and humid weather at the Tokyo Olympics.
"After the Tokyo Olympic Games, it's a bit easier to play here comparatively. The worst experience for me was at a Challenger in Seville, Spain, where it was 50 degrees. Tokyo was the second worst [...] it was very humid and the court there felt like a sauna," said Rublev.
