Hong Kong Tennis Open: Rublev surprised by level of support after beating Ruusuvuori to claim singles title
- Andrey Rublev powers to straight sets victory over unseeded Finn Emil Ruusuvuori
- Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo capture doubles title with victory over top seeded Belgians
Andrey Rublev said he did not know why he was so popular with tennis fans after beating underdog Emil Ruusuvuori to become the first Hong Kong Open men’s champion in more than 20 years on Sunday.
The Russian broke his Finnish opponent once in each set, winning 6-4, 6-4 in less than 90 minutes, and immediately said he expected to defend his crown at the “perfect” tournament next year.
It was a dominant performance from the 26-year-old top seed, who faced only one break point and capitalised on his first match point at Victoria Park Stadium. He committed only six unforced errors, and hit 13 winners, strangling Ruusuvuori’s challenge.
The world No 5’s performance drew praise from across the city, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu adding his congratulations after cheering Rublev and Ruusuvuori’s “amazing performance” in front of a packed Centre Court.
Lee hailed the return of the “world-class sports event” and thanked those players who made the journey for having done so. The ATP Tour’s return for the first time since 2002 was a “meaningful” moment, Lee said in a post on his official Facebook page.
“The SAR Government will continue to actively promote Hong Kong as an international metropolis and event capital, demonstrate the charm of Hong Kong, attract overseas tourists to Hong Kong, and promote the development of local sports, tourism and cultural industries,” Lee added.
Rublev, who has spoken out against his country’s invasion of Ukraine, is the first man from Russia to win the Hong Kong title, which has been claimed by players of 11 different nationalities since the tournament was first staged in 1973.
The flag and nationality of Russian players do not feature on any ATP Tour literature, and the 26-year-old said he was grateful for the “huge support” he received.
“I do not know why I deserve my support, and why it is like this,” Rublev told the Post. “It is really tough, in general, to get a number of people to support you. It is very tough to get, and very easy to lose. Being from the country I am, it is even tougher to get support.”
A clue regarding that popularity might be found in the combustible on court demeanour the world No 5 marries with a hard-hitting, resourceful style.
Both were on ample display during a final that lasted one hour and 17 minutes, with Rublev hitting an unreturnable backhand to take the important break in the first set, and hammering a succession of high-velocity forehands to pull away when the second set was evenly poised at 4-4.
In between, the fiery Russian’s temper boiled over when he squandered winnable points, but ultimately the gulf in class between himself and his opponent, ranked 69th in the world, was too big.
“It is a great feeling to start the season with a title,” Rublev said. “I played a good level of tennis the whole tournament, and a high level in the final.”
Rublev, who won his 15th ATP Tour title, is the first Hong Kong Open champion since Juan Carlos Ferrero.
“Everything was perfect for me, I was made very welcome, the organisers did the best they could for me to feel perfect, and I am grateful,” Rublev said. “Why not come back if everything is perfect?”
In the doubles, No 2 seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, playing together for the first time this week, overcame top seeds Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 7-6, 6-4, to claim the title.
