(Shanghai) Hubert Hurkacz won his second Masters series title in Shanghai on Sunday, saving a match point before winning 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8) against Andrey Rublev.
As he did in his semi-final victory against Sebastian Korda, the Polish player’s serve was once again his best weapon as he scored 21 aces and won 80% of the points contested on his first serves .
PHOTO HECTOR RETAMAL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Hubert Hurkacz
Hurkacz broke Rublev in the sixth game, which proved decisive to win the first set.
It was the first set the 25-year-old Russian had lost in the tournament, but he rallied in the second set, hitting 16 winners to force a third set.
The tiebreaker score became 5-5. Rublev had a match point at 6-5, which Hurkacz saved, before converting his fourth chance to get his hands on the title.
PHOTO HECTOR RETAMAL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Andrey Rublev
The match lasted two hours and nine minutes.
“It was a great fight,” Hurkacz said. Especially emotionally. It was back and forth and a pretty temperamental match.
“Andrey was playing great shots and I was trying to respond to them. I continued to believe it. I’m very happy with the way I handled the match at the end. »
The 26-year-old has now won seven titles on the tour. In the Masters series, his triumph in Shanghai adds to that obtained in Miami in 2021.