(Rome) Russia’s sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev defeated Slovakia’s Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-4 in the only match completed early in the day due to rain on Saturday at the Italian Open.
The start of the first matches was delayed by almost two hours and play was briefly interrupted during the first leg of the duel between Rublev and Molcan. The sky opened up as Rublev finished off his rival, then the canvas was set up over the clay.
“I can rest and I can rest tomorrow. I won’t have to live the stress of waiting, said Rublev, winner at the Monte Carlo Masters last month. I was lucky to finish the match just before the rain knowing that most of the players haven’t had a chance to play yet. »
Most games were suspended before they were completed and organizers hoped play would resume later in the day.
In the third round, Rublev will face the winner of the duel between Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Guido Pella, who were due to play later on Saturday.
The Spaniard and second seed Carlos Alcaraz was also due to start his journey in Rome on Saturday, facing his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas.