DOHA, Qatar — Andrey Rublev credited his mental approach after beating Jack Draper 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 to win the Qatar Open for the second time Saturday.
It was Rublev’s third three-set win in three days. The Russian also dropped the second set in his two previous matches against Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
“I was really good mentally and didn’t let frustration get over me,” Rublev said. “As soon as I was frustrated, I was able to restart again and I was able to play at the same intensity. That’s the most important thing.”
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It was the 17th title of Rublev’s career, having earned his first Doha trophy in 2020.
“It’s my first ever title that I won twice,” Rublev said. “I think both of us were really tired after two three-set matches that finished late. We were exhausted and it was difficult, but somehow we were able to play at a good level. When I lost the second set, I let it go and started to play more freely.”
Rublev improved to 4-0 in his career against Draper.
Still, Draper will improve to a career-high ranking of No. 12 on Monday.
“We played some tough matches this week, and in the third set, he was just a bit too strong for me,” Draper said. “I’m really proud of my efforts this week. Every day, I wake up and try to improve, so it’s a testament to my hard work, I suppose.”
