Andrey Rublev blames Roger Federer for distracting the crowd at the Shanghai Masters as the Russian makes it to the semis

The fifth-seeded Rublev defeated Humbert with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Andrey Rublev blames Roger Federer for distracting the crowd at the Shanghai Masters as the Russian makes it to the semis

Roger Federer and Andrey Rublev (Credit: Parade and Pinterest)

At the Shanghai Masters Andrey Rublev found himself competing not only with his opponent Ugo Humbert but also with the alluring presence of Roger Federer. The Swiss icon was present during the match and the audience could not take their eyes off him.

The fifth-seeded Rublev defeated Humbert with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory. He kept his calm to advance to the tournament’s semifinals. When Federer entered the arena, the Russian couldn’t help but notice the crowd’s response. “No he didn’t distract me at all. But all the people stopped focusing on the match because they were only focusing on Roger,” he said.

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The incident happened during the fifth career meeting between Rublev and Humber. Humbert had won their most recent meeting at the China Open, bringing their overall record against each other to 2-2. Rublev, though, was able to turn the tables this time, winning in straight sets and moving on to the semis.

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Federer made a special appearance at the competition after being chosen the “icon athlete” of the Shanghai Masters. He was recognized in a ceremony where he was given a gift, recalled previous Shanghai matches, and interacted with the crowd by addressing their inquiries. Federer also hugged a lion mascot during a humorous segment of the presentation.

Read More: Grigor Dimitrov credits his win over Carlos Alcaraz as a confidence booster as he storms in the semis of Shanghai Masters 

Rublev shines in the quarterfinal

Andrey Rublev moved a step closer to winning his second ATP Masters 1000 championship at the Shanghai Masters. The World No. 7, the highest-ranked player who is still in the draw, displayed his talent by defeating Ugo Humbert in the quarterfinals with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 score.

Credit: Sky Sports

Rublev displayed his aggressive playing style throughout the one-hour, 31-minute match. He frequently drove Humbert deep with strong, flat groundstrokes. He recovered admirably from a brief setback in which he lost a break advantage in the second set, winning the final four games of the match.

The 25-year-old Russian is unquestionably at the top of his game with a fantastic 17-6 record at ATP Masters 1000 events in 2023. His sixth semifinal appearance at this level sets up a pivotal matchup with Grigor Dimitrov in his pursuit of a third championship this year.

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