A STUNNING three-set upset of Clay Court King Rafael Nadal has Russian up-and-comer Andrey Rublev in a near-unbeatable way, moving through to the semi-finals of the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters ATP 1000 event. Rublev was one of three lower ranked players to win their respective matchups, leaving just him and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas as the only seeds in the final four.

Having never beaten Nadal before and the Spanish star having lifted the trophy in Monte Carlo a casual 11 times, Rublev was by far the underdog despite his rapid rise in the past 12 months. He left nothing out on the court though to inflict only Nadal’s sixth win at the event. He raced out to a 6-2 3-1 lead as if Nadal was a newcomer and Rublev even admitted “it did not feel real”.

“All the situation was strange,” Rublev said post-match. “I mean, [it] was not real that I was winning 6-2, 3-1, having breakpoints for [a] second break. It was not real. Probably inside I understood that something is going to change. It cannot be like this all the match. If it’s like this all the match, then I don’t know, probably Rafa had his worst day of his life.”

Once Nadal hit back to win five of the next six games and take the second set, the momentum was with the third seed and many expected him to go on with it. Instead, Rublev broke him twice for a whopping 5-1 lead in the third, eventually taking the set in eight games to win, 6-2 4-6 6-2 in two hours and 32 minutes.

“I would say this week I am controlling my emotions [really well]. At the end that’s the key,” Rublev said. “If after the second set I would say something or if I would show emotions, for sure the third set will be over, [it] will be 6-2 for him. “So I’m happy that I could handle it.”

Rublev won 12 more points than Nadal (99-87), serving two aces to one, but only one double fault to seven. He won more first serve points (65 per cent to 56 per cent), and converted seven of 15 break points to the Spaniard’s four of 12. Rublev will now go on to face Norwegian Casper Ruud in the semi-finals after Ruud upstaged 15th seed Italian Fabio Fognini.

That was more favourable to the winner with Ruud getting up 6-4 6-3 in 97 minutes of match play. He was consistent off both his first (62 per cent) and second (64 per cent) serves, with Fognini struggling with a 57 and 53 per cent success rate despite a higher clip (67 per cent to 64 per cent). The clay court world number 27 is eyeing off a Top 20 spot with a good run here and the 22-year-old can finally come of age at the event with just one title to his name to-date.

In the other results, Daniel Evans toppled 11th seed David Goffin in a come-from-behind win to mark his fourth victory of the tournament, officially doubling his career wins on clay having entered the 2021 event at just four. He won 5-7 6-3 6-4 and backed up his shock upset of Novak Djokovic in the previous round with the terrific win over Goffin. The Brit will now go on to face Tsitsipas, who only played out the one set prior to his opponent, Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina retiring.

MONTE CARLO MASTERS QUARTER FINALS RESULTS:

[6] Andrey Rublev (RUS) defeated [3] Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6-2 4-6 6-2
[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) 7-5 0-0 RET
Daniel Evans (GBR) defeated [11] David Goffin (BEL) 5-7 6-3 6-4
Casper Ruud (NOR) defeated [15] Fabio Fognini (ITA) 6-4 6-3