Rublev overcomes Bublik fightback

LONDON: Andrey Rublev reaching the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam is one of the most predictable outcomes, but there was nothing remotely routine about his five-set win over Alexander Bublik, his fourth-round opponent at Wimbledon on Sunday.

Rublev, who has now reached the quarter-final stage eight times at Grand Slams but has never made it to the last-four, was seemingly cruising into the last-eight phase when he took the first two sets on Centre Court. Yet his Kazakh opponent somehow conjured a way back into the contest and ensured it went the distance, before seventh seed Rublev wrapped up a 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-7(5), 6-4 victory.

Had the Russian lost, it would have been a remarkably bitter pill to swallow, having been two points away from victory in the third set tie-break, passed up two match points in the fourth and led 5-3 in the second breaker only to lose four points in a row.

After securing a decisive break to go ahead in the fifth set, Rublev pulled off one of the most remarkable shots of the tournament so far – a diving forehand winner – to bring up match point and then banged down an ace.

RESULTS (SELECTED): Men’s singles: Round-of-16: A Rublev bt A Bublik 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-7(5), 6-4; J Sinner bt D Galan 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-3; R Safiullin bt D Shapovalov 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. Women’s singles: Round-of-16: J Pegula bt L Tsurenko 6-1, 6-3; Third round: K Boulter lost to E Rybakina 1-6, 1-6; A Potapova lost to M Andreeva 2-6, 5-7

Bad day for Indians

The Indian men’s doubles combination of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni put up a valiant fight before going down to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain and Adrian Mannarino from France in a three-setter to crash out in the first round.

After a subdued opening set, Bhambri and Myneni were at their best and broke the Spanish-French pair in the 10th game of the second to level the match score. But they could not capitalise and eventually went down 4-6, 6-4, 4-6.

The Indian challenge in mixed doubles ended after the sixth-seeded Rohan Bopanna and Gabriela Dabrowski were knocked out by the 2019 Wimbledon champions Ivan Dodig (Croatia) and Latisha Chan (Chinese Taipei) 7-6 (5), 3-6, 4-6 in the second round.