I Play Tennis Like I Play Chess: Andrey Rublev

I Play Tennis Like I Play Chess: Andrey Rublev

Russian star Andrey Rublev has been the big thing in the last 4 ATP 500 tournaments. The Russian is riding a 20-match winning streak, with four straight titles at ATP 500 events.

He is now in Dubai, to bid for his 5th consecutive ATP 500 title. Earlier, he reached the Qatar Open semi-final without even playing a match. He lost in the semi-final to Roberto Bautista Agut.

Ahead of his second appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Russian spoke about his fondness for Chess. The world No.8 Andrey Rublev says he plays tennis like he plays chess and it’s helped him get off to another strong start in 2021.

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He said: “Chess can help tennis, maybe strategy wise. It gives you more patience, but I play chess like I play tennis. I try and take a Queen, or a forehand in tennis, and dictate. I prepare to attack.”

“It doesn’t suit my game style,” Andrey Rublev on the Dubai courts

Andrey Rublev

This will be Rublev’s second appearance in the Dubai Tennis Championships. The last year’s quarter-finalist expects the conditions to be tricky once again for his aggressive game.

“It’s always tough conditions to play here as the balls fly and it doesn’t suit my game style,” said Rublev. “It will be a great challenge for me, as I will need to find other ways to play matches.”

He reflected on his mentality and personal growth.

“It’s tough to know what you need to do to produce good results,” Rublev said. “I’ve focused on myself to accept the things that I can’t change and do the best I can [each] today. This is the direction I am moving in and what has helped me. It also helped me to be better mentally.”

He concluded: “Little by little, things began to fix themselves. I knew I needed to focus on myself, be in the moment and just play tournaments. In the end, the puzzle came together and from last year, I have started to play better and better.”

The second seed Rublev will face Finnish qualifier Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round.

Also read: ATP Dubai Open 2021: Taylor Fritz vs Nikoloz Basilashvili – Preview, Head to Head and Prediction