Andrey Rublev, the seventh favorite of the 1000-point ATP tournament in Madrid, prevailed in the grand final of the competition, score 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, in the confrontation with the surprise Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadian reaching the final after he had not won any set of the eighths, taking advantage of the withdrawals of his opponents.
The Russian had to overcome not only his opponent, but also the physical problems that tormented him terribly in Madrid: a virus and discomfort in his leg. Rublev revealed at the press conference that he will visit the hospital on Monday, less than 24 hours after winning the title, in his bid to make a full recovery.
After the final, Rublev admitted he was on the verge of retiring from the Caja Magica after facing health problems, but said he was now extremely proud of the trophy he had won. “I’m still sick and tomorrow (not today, Monday) I think I’ll go back to the hospital for a full check-up to find out exactly what’s going on.
I’ve been sick for eight or nine days, it’s not normal. I’m actually not feeling better, which is weird because I usually get sick for two or three days at most and maybe have a fever, but nothing special. It’s the first time in my life that I feel so bad”the Russian sent to Caja Magica.
Rublev added that he had to be given an anesthetic to play in the final: “They put an anesthetic in my toe because it got kind of inflamed and kept swelling and the pressure started to be on the bone and I can’t even put my shoes on. It felt like a fracture, so that they put anesthetic on me so that I don’t feel it and at least I can play without thinking about it”the Russian also declared.
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