"I don’t want to play Novak Djokovic next time" - Andrey Rublev after Paris Masters SF defeat to the Serb

Andrey Rublev has said he doesn't want to face Novak Djokovic again in the future. Rublev suffered his fifth defeat to the Serb at the 2023 Paris Masters on Saturday (November 4).

The Russian advanced to the semifinals of the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season with a three-set win over Alex de Minaur, setting up a blockbuster clash against Djokovic for a place in the final. He went into the match with just one win over the World No. 1 in their five previous encounters.

Ahead of their semifinal clash, Rublev candidly said he "didn't learn anything" from his previous losses to the Serb.

Djokovic ended up beating the Russian again, this time with a scoreline of 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5, to secure a spot in the final. That said, Rublev pushed the Serb throughout, displaying impressive resilience during the three-hour long encounter.

When asked about his chances against the 24-time Grand Slam champion in their future matches, Andrey Rublev said he would prefer to avoid facing Djokovic altogether.

"No, no, no. I don’t want to play him next time. That’s all I want," he said (via Express.co.uk).

Despite his defeat, the Russian acknowledged his exceptional performance throughout the week. He also highlighted his high level of play and composure during his clash against Djokovic.

"I feel like, I don’t know, it’s been a great week," Rublev said. "I was playing really great level, I was controlling really good emotions so looks like I’m moving in the right direction and the most important thing is to just keep going this way."

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Novak Djokovic after Paris Masters SF win: "Andrey Rublev was suffocating me like a snake suffocates a frog"

Djokovic at the Paris Masters

Novak Djokovic extended his perfect record in Paris Masters semifinals to 9-0 with his win over Andrey Rublev. Following his victory, the World No. 1 showered praise on the Russian's high level of play.

"Just having a little bit space and time to hit the ball... because Rublev was suffocating me like a snake suffocates a frog for most of the match. He was playing on an extremely high level," he said in his on-court interview.

The Serb also stated that it was the best performance he had witnessed from Rublev, lauding the 26-year-old's "off the charts" display.

"I mean I knew that he possesses a great quality but today he was off the charts honestly. I don't think I've ever faced Rublev with this good. On the other hand, I was struggling again with my fitness, just got though it," he said.

Novak Djokovic will lock horns with Grigor Dimitrov in the Paris Masters final. Dimitrov secured a 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(3) victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas to book his spot against the World No. 1.