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After Nadal, Ruud also dies, Russian Rublev provoked with Ukrainian flag

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Ruud already lost in the second round at the Australian Open

After defending champion Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud has also already been eliminated from the Australian Open, which has now lost its two highest ranked players in the men’s tournament. Jenson Brooksby robbed the Norwegian of the illusion that he will be number one in the world next week.

Only Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas can knock the injured Carlos Alcaraz off his throne with a final victory in Melbourne. Tsitsipas is Friday’s opponent in the third round of Tallon Grepes, the last remaining Dutchman in singles.

Ruud only seemed to get into the match against Brooksby when he won the third set after a miraculous breakaway. But the resistance was soon broken again (3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 2-6).

Three match points

Brooksby, the number 39 in the world, played very offensively and left Ruud completely without a chance in the first two sets. At 5-3 in the third, he was allowed to serve for the win, but three match points were wasted. Especially the last one, a long rally, did not bother him.

After Ruud had dragged out a tiebreak and won it convincingly, however, he immediately handed in his own serve in the fourth set and the match was over.

Rublev challenged with Ukrainian flag

Andrej Rublev qualified for the third round on Thursday by beating the Finn Emil Ruusuvuori in four sets. During the match, the Russian was repeatedly challenged by spectators who waved the Ukrainian flag.

Rublev, 25, then went to the arbitrator. “I immediately told the referee it wasn’t for the flag, they can show the flag they want, I totally understand the situation,” he told the Associated Press afterwards.

Rublev challenged with Ukrainian flag

“The problem is that they started insulting me and saying nasty things. I said to the referee: ‘I don’t mind the flag, but please tell them not to talk bad to me when changing ends.'”

Rublev spoke out against the war in Ukraine several times in the past year. A year ago, for example, he wrote ‘No war please’ on camera after a tennis match in Dubai. At the masters tournament in Turin last November, his message was ‘Peace, peace, peace, all we need’.

A few days ago, Tennis Australia announced a ban on Russian and Belarusian flags at Melbourne Park. On the opening day of the grand slam tournament, flags of the two countries were displayed on the park, to the dismay of Ukrainian tennis fans, among others, who were present.

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