“He demolished me,” Andrey Rublev admits to ‘total collapse’ during the loss against Arthur Fils in Monte Carlo

Arthur Fils beats World No.9 Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters.

“He demolished me,” Andrey Rublev admits to ‘total collapse’ during the loss against Arthur Fils in Monte Carlo

Arthur Fils and Andrey Rublev (via X/Andrey Rublev fans/ATP)

Arthur Fils produced one of the best performances of the Monte Carlo Masters against 2023 champion Andrey Rublev. The Frenchman has been on good form this season and reached the quarter-finals of Indian Wells and Miami Open. He continued with the same form at the Monte Carlo to earn a place in the quarter-finals.

Rublev had won his first meeting with Fils at the Hong Kong Open last year. He was the favorite to win the second clash thanks to his experience on clay. However, Fils gave an all-round performance on the court, pushing his opponent deep in his baseline, while hitting perfect drop shots to win points.

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The 20-year-old won 21 of his 26 points from his first serve and also converted five of the seven break points he earned. He then cruised past the Russian 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and two minutes to reach the quarter-finals. The loss was the 2023 champion’s fourth in his last five matches on Tour. In fact, he has won only one match since winning the Qatar Open in February.

After the match, a disappointed Rublev revealed that he was completely demolished by Fils throughout the tie. He had nothing to complain but his performance as he failed to raise the level of his display.

The match is very simple to sum up: He simply demolished me. Arthur played much better than me, incredible tennis, he was better in every area of the game. There is nothing to complain about. I managed to raise my level of play a little in the second set. I had a small opportunity when I was leading 0–30 on his serve (at 2–1 for Rublev), but I didn’t exploit it. Then he broke me, even though I had the initiative in the rallies, but I played him badly, he outplayed me. If these two games had gone differently, maybe my level of play would have gone up and his would have gone down. But everything collapsed and it was already over.

Andrey Rublev said via Monte Carlo Press

Andrey Rublev said that Fils will face a tough task in his quest to reach the semi-finals. The 20-year-old will play against Carlos Alcaraz, who has also been in form since arriving at Monte Carlo. It will be the first meeting between the duo.

French tennis legend says Arthur Fils made Andrey Rublev look like “a small boy”

Andrey Rublev will not forget his defeat to Arthur Fils in a hurry. He had entered the match with confidence after beating Gael Monfils in the second round, but he met a far superior display against Fils. Former French player Paul-Henri Mathieu revealed after the match that Fils made Rublev look like a little boy.

Arthur Fils (3)
Arthur Fils (Image via X/Miami Open)

Arthur was monstrous in terms of power and physique. He made Rublev look like a little boy, it’s crazy. You don’t often see the Russian outpaced in rhythm. With his ball trajectories, he manages to push back the opponent with his topspin and a super heavy and deep ball, very hard to control. He doesn’t give him time to move.

Paul-Henri Mathieu said via L’Equipe

Rublev will now look to bounce back at the Barcelona Open. The 27-year-old has to be in the best form possible ahead of his title defense at the Madrid Open.

Andrey Rublev’s partnership with Marat Safin after the Monte Carlo Masters

Andrey Rublev won his first match under the tutelage of new coach and former World No.1 Marat Safin after beating Gael Monfils 6-4, 7-6(2). The Russian hired Safin to help him deal with his mental health. He has been struggling to keep his emotions in check in the middle of tight matches, which sometimes led to him smashing his racket.

Marat Safin and Andrey Rublev (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Marat Safin and Andrey Rublev (via X/The Tennis Letter)

The World No.9 didn’t smash any racket at the Monte Carlo Masters and he looked more composed than ever. However, he only played two matches at the ATP 1000 tournament, which is not enough to prove that Safin’s work has really been implemented. The Russian star would be faced with more tougher opponents in the future.

Aside from his mental health, Rublev appointed Safin to help him deal with his inconsistent focus on the court. On several occasions last season, the 27-year-old lost matches he was leading. He will hope that he gets the best of Safin before the French Open, which starts on May 25.