Tennis: Andrey Rublev tops Jack Draper for second Doha title

Doha: Andrey Rublev cemented his status as a two-time champion at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha on Saturday.

The fifth seed resisted a resurgence from Jack Draper in the final at the hard-court ATP 500 to prevail 7-5, 5-7, 6-1. Rublev, who also earned an ATP 250 triumph in the city in 2020, kept his cool in a heavy-hitting clash, striking 34 winners en route to sealing his 17th ATP Tour trophy. It was first tour-level title since he won the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid last May.

“It feels amazing,” said Rublev. “It’s my first ever title that I won twice.. I’m really happy. I think both of us were really tired after two three-set matches that finished late. We were exhausted and it was difficult, but somehow we were able to play at a good level. When I lost the second set, I let it go and started to play more freely.

“I played at a good level. In some moments, I was really good mentally and didn't let frustration get over me. As soon as I was frustrated, I was able to restart again and I was able to play at the same intensity. That’s the most important thing.” Agencies

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