“I would love to have Davidovich’s legs”

to the rivalry between Andrey Rublev y Alexander Davidovich Only one thing is missing: that the coin does not always fall on the same side. There have been three confrontations between the two (Roland Garros 2020, Dubai 2023, Roma 2023) and everyone had their good dose of drama, although the Russian was always the winner. This Monday, after seeing their faces in the third round of the Foro Itálico, Rublev once again escaped from the clutches of the man from Malaga, although hours later he confessed at the table of Tennis Channel that it is never easy to face a rival of these characteristics. In addition, they also asked his opinion about the new two-week format in the Masters 1000.

Party before Davidovich

“In general terms, Davidovich is a great player, it doesn’t matter who is in front, because if he is well and feels the ball as he usually does, he becomes a very difficult opponent, he always lands great shots and has incredible legs. When you move that well and hit the ball that hard, it’s normal for you to be a very tough opponent, in addition to having such a good forehand or backhand. I don’t have that mobility, I would love to have it, so you have to fight and fight for every ball, that’s what I did today.

Turning point at the end of the first set

“The results show that I play better on clay, maybe, but if I lose a set 6-3 in the tiebreak, where he had a very comfortable forehand at that time, I’m sure the movie would be totally different now. Maybe if he wins that first set then he takes the second 6-2”.

Masters 1000 to two weeks

“It is a mixture of sensations. First of all, at the beginning it becomes easier because I have more time to relax and rest, to recover, I come from intense weeks in Monte Carlo, Baja Luka and Madrid playing non-stop, it’s hard to have to play non-stop again. It is important to have a few days off, so these days feel good to arrive here a little fresher, but the fact of being away from home for so many days is also complicated, you are forced to continue competing every week. Just having a week of training would be enough, because you no longer have that tension of the matches and the stress of the competition”.

Reduce stress before a game

“Of course there are tools, but that tension is something that you will always have hanging around in your head. Imagine that you face a player at 20:00 in the afternoon, but throughout the day you will be thinking about that game, at that time, all day thinking about it. You can go with your friends or with your team to disconnect, but at all times you will have in your head that that game is coming up, and the closer you are, the more tension you will have in your body, it is something that cannot be negotiated ” .

Viral video of a fan

“I think she gave me a hug and immediately she started crying, or well, I think she started crying first and then she asked me for my autograph. The truth is that there is no possible explanation to talk about all the love that The fans give me, when I see them I quickly go to hug them ”.