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Jack Draper Falls Short in Qatar Open Final Against Andrey Rublev

British tennis player Jack Draper faced a tough challenge in the Qatar Open final, ultimately succumbing to Andrey Rublev in three sets. Draper, who aimed for his third ATP Tour title, ended the match with a score of 7-5, 5-7, 6-1, against the world number 10 in Doha.

The match began with a closely contested first two sets, each featuring only a single break of serve. However, the final set proved to be more challenging for Draper, as he struggled to maintain his form.

As fatigue set in for Draper, Rublev capitalized on his opponent’s dwindling energy, breaking serve twice to surge to a commanding 4-0 lead. The Russian then comfortably held his serve to secure the victory, marking a significant achievement in his career.

Despite this setback, Draper has a reason to remain optimistic. Having reached the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year, his performance in Doha will help him advance to a career-high ranking of 12th in the world.

“It has been an amazing week – congratulations to Andrey, he was just too good today,” Draper expressed after the match. At 23 years of age, he reflected on his experiences, noting that he has now lost three of the five ATP Tour finals he has participated in. “He outlasted me. We have both played some really tough matches this week and he was just too strong for me in the third set,” he added.

Rublev’s victory marks his second Qatar Open title, having previously won the event in 2020. This achievement is particularly notable as it is the first time he has claimed the same ATP title on two occasions.

Among active players, only Novak Djokovic has surpassed Rublev’s tally of six ATP titles, underscoring the Russian’s prominent status in the sport.

“It is amazing. It is the first title I have won twice, so I am really happy,” Rublev remarked following the match. He acknowledged the intense physical demands of the tournament, stating, “We were both exhausted after some long matches this week. It was difficult, but we were able to play to a good level.” The turning point in the match, according to Rublev, came after the second set when he felt freer to play, allowing him to seize control of the match. “After the second set, I started to play much more free – he was more tired. I was able to break him and the match changed completely,” he concluded.

Source
www.bbc.com