Chinese tennis player Hubert Hurkacz won his second Masters title, beating Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) in the ATP 1000 final in Shanghai on October 15.
Against an opponent with a powerful playing style, Hurkacz's serve was key to his victory. The Polish player hit 21 aces throughout the match, won 81% of first serve points, saved a match point in the third-set tie-break before capitalizing on opportunities to win the fourth set. After two hours and nine minutes, he defeated Rublev to claim his second Masters title, following the 2021 Miami Open.
Hurkacz celebrates his seventh ATP title. Photo: Reuters
There were very few opportunities for either player to win service games in the final. This meant that every mistake cost the entire set. Rublev lost his service game when trailing 2-3 in the first set, leading to a 3-6 defeat. That was also his first set loss in the tournament. In the second set, Hurkacz also lost his service game early and was unable to recover, losing 3-6 in a set where Rublev hit 16 winners.
Both players played with intense focus in the third set, pushing it into a tie-break. There, Rublev secured the first mini-break, but then made a series of mistakes, losing his composure and ultimately losing 8-10. The Russian player missed the opportunity to win his second Masters title of the year, and of his career.
Hurkacz has won seven of his eight ATP Tour finals. The Polish player has rekindled hopes of reaching the ATP Finals, trailing Holger Rune, who currently sits at number eight, by just 335 points. In his career, Hurkacz has only participated in the tournament once, in 2021.
Hurkacz earned an additional $1.26 million by winning the Shanghai Masters – the tournament's first return to the ATP Tour in four years. On the ATP rankings, Hurkacz will rise to 11th place next week. The 26-year-old's best ranking was world number 9 in 2021 – the year he reached the Wimbledon semifinals after defeating Roger Federer.
Vy Anh
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