EXPERIENCED ATP500 finalist Andrey Rublev is through to his third Qatar Open in seven years, eyeing off a second title in Doha. After finishing runner-up in 2018, Rublev went one better in 2020 and now five years later will search for a second title. The final will make his 10th ATP500 final, just the ninth player to achieve the feat since the level began in 2009.

Coming up against in-form Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime who already has a Tour-high two titles on his CV this year, Rublev – who has admittedly had been in horror form through January but has since bounced back through February – will look for his first Tour-level title since August last year where he triumphed in Montreal.

Rublev won 7-5 4-6 7-6 in an epic semi-final that even the Russian fifth seed admitted he was lucky to get through given Auger-Aliassime put down 21 aces among 52 winners in a blistering display on serve. Rublev broke just once – the same as Auger-Aliassime, with that chance coming in the first set. After that, it was about grinding away and then in the tiebreaker the fifth seed was finally able to close it out 7-5.

“[It took] everything. It was super tough today,” Rublev said post-match. “I felt like there was not much I can do if he is serving [like that]. I just needed to be really lucky to break him… He was serving well and I was just saying, ‘Okay, I cannot do much, this is one of the best servers on Tour. I just need to try to guess and when I have a moment, just go for it.’ At 6-5 was the only match point I had, a good [opportunity], and I missed by a little bit. But it happened.”

Rublev hit 28 winners for 33 unforced errors and served consistently himself, running at a 70 per cent clip and winning 61 of 73 points off his first serve (84 per cent) for the match. In particularly his forehand was his biggest weapon, smacking 12 of his 28 winners off it, while Auger-Aliassime was similar with 21 of his 52 winners coming off that wing.

The Russian will now face eighth seed Brit Jack Draper after Draper got out of jail against Czech Jiri Lehecka. In an equally tense match, Draper had to come back from a set down and 1-2 behind in the second set tiebreaker before winning the last six points to force a decider.

In the third set, Lehecka led 3-2 on serve, before Draper produced two breaks of serve in the final three games – to close out the match 3-6 7-6 6-3 in two hours and 24 minutes. Draper produced 14 aces among 35 winners, while Lehecka hit seven from 39, but also had 11 more unforced errors (52-41).

Draper said he had put his injury issues that plagued him not just earlier in the year, but throughout his career behind him and was keen to make the best of it in the Doha final.

“I feel good,” Draper said. “My body feels pretty good. It’s been obviously a tough couple of matches, but I’m getting used to playing more this intensity back-to-back. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, I’ll give it my all, and I feel good.”