Australian Open 2022: 5th seed Andrey Rublev stunned by Marin Cilic in Round 3, netizens left shocked
Andrey Rublev was the fifth seed at the 2022 Australian Open. He has been beaten by Marin Cilic, who was the 23rd seed of the tournament. It was a four-setter match that lasted over two hours.
FollowIn another upset at the Australian Open 2022, fifth seed Andrey Rublev of Russia was knocked out in Round 3. He fell to former US Open winner Marin Cilic of Croatia, the 23rd seed of the tournament. It was a four-setter game that lasted for a couple of hours and 37 minutes, as the latter won 7-5, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3.
Cilic mainly relied on his strong forehand winners, along with severe backhands, as he played the match in a free-flowing fashion. The Croatian fired 24 aces, winning 85% of his first serves. He hit 34 winners in some intense action in the opening two sets. However, Rublev bounced back in the third despite trailing 1-3 and won five games in a row to keep his chances alive.
However, Cilic made the Russian’s hopes short-lived after breaking soon in the fourth and leading 3-1. The Croatian kept his calm and fired aces to seal up his spot in the pre-quarters. He will now be facing Félix Auger-Aliassime of Canada on Monday. The US Open win in 2014 is the 24th-ranked’s only Grand Slam win to date.
“It is incredible. I enjoyed every single second of the match. Andrey is an incredible player, we have played several times in the past, and it is always difficult. I had so much fun and played great tennis. It is a little bit cooler in the evening. So, you can go for a bit more on your shots, and it went well for me. I served great, and that is how to go against the guys at the top. If you are giving them a chance to hit, you will have trouble, so I was trying to be aggressive, and it paid off,” Cilic told following his victory.
