By Tony Fairbairn
- Andrey Rublev [7] v Felix Auger-Aliassime
- H2H: Rublev leads 4-1
MADRID, SPAIN – Felix Auger-Aliassime is aiming to win his maiden Masters 1000 title when he takes on Andrey Rublev in the Madrid final.
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Andrey Rublev [7] v Felix Auger-Aliassime H2H & Match Fundamentals
Andrey Rublev’s resurgence continues after an impressive straight sets win over Taylor Fritz means he is into a first Madrid final. The seventh seed is now one win away from a second career Masters 1000 title as Rublev looks to prove that he can be a serious threat and take advantage of injuries and uncertainty at the top of the men’s game. Standing in Rublev’s way is Felix Auger-Aliassime who benefited from another withdrawal and is now aiming for a maiden Masters 1000 title in Madrid.
| Andrey Rublev [7] v Felix Auger-Aliassime | H2H: Rublev leads 4-1 |
| Madrid 2024 | Madrid, Spain |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: €512,260/€963,225 |
| Second on Manolo Santana Stadium (Not before 17:30 BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Rublev had the tougher route to the final which included having to beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz however Auger-Aliassime also beat an in-form player on his way to the final in the form of Barcelona champion Casper Ruud.
Andrey Rublev [7] route to the final
R1: BYE
R2: Facundo Bagnis [Q] 6-1 6-4
R3: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina [27] 7-6(10) 6-4
R4: Tallon Griekspoor [24] 6-2 6-4
QF: Carlos Alcaraz [1] 4-6 6-3 6-2
SF: Taylor Fritz [12] 6-4 6-3
Felix Auger-Aliassime route to the final
R1: Yoshihito Nishioka 4-6 6-1 6-4
R2: Adrian Mannarino [19] 6-0 6-4
R3: Jakub Mensik 6-1 1-0 RET
R4: Casper Ruud 6-4 7-5
QF: Jannik Sinner [1] W/O
SF: Jiri Lehecka [30] 3-3 RET
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Andrey Rublev (WR 8) | Felix Auger-Aliassime (WR 35) |
| Tournament Previous Best | Quarter-Final (2022) | Quarter-Final (2022) |
| 1st Serve % | 63.6 | 63.3 |
| Service Games Won % | 90.5 | 83.4 |
| Break Points Saved % | 75 | 57.1 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 52.6 | 47 |
| Break Points Converted % | 30.7 | 40.1 |
Rublev has been more consistent on serve but Auger-Aliassime has been more and more efficient on return in recent weeks.
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Playing Styles and Prediction
After a poor run of form, Rublev has found his confidence back in Madrid as he is into a fifth Masters 1000 final.
Now Rublev searches for his second title at Masters 1000 level as he aims to prove why he should be taken seriously as a contender for Roland Garros with there being many injuries and uncertainty at the top of the men’s game.
Speaking ahead of the final Rublev said it’s normal to have ups and downs in tennis and spoke about the psychology of going through a poor run of form.
“It’s normal to have up-and-downs,” Rublev told the ATP website.
“The good thing when you have too many downs in one moment, is that you should go up. You cannot always lose in the first round… The next week you have more chances to win a couple of matches. In the end, I guess, this was the week.”
Rublev will now take on Auger-Aliassime in the final who is playing his first Masters 1000 final after a win over Ruud and benefiting from three withdrawals during his run to the final.
Now Auger-Aliassime will aim to overcome a nightmare last 12 months and claim a major breakthrough in his career.
Ahead of the final Auger-Aliassime spoke about his gradual improvement in recent weeks and described the final as a ‘huge opportunity.’
“Obviously it’s a great opportunity,” the Canadian told the ATP website.
“It’s a first final of a Masters for me, a new position to be in. These don’t happen often, like every week. We play a lot of matches, we train a lot, but when you get a chance like this, obviously you’re very motivated.
“I’m going to prepare for this match very seriously, but also not change my routine and try to prepare well for the match.”
Rublev will aim to use power on both forehand and backhand to dictate play as he aims to use depth to force errors from Auger-Aliassime.
Meanwhile the Canadian will continue to serve efficiently well as well as using the backhand to take options away from Rublev.
This should be a tense match with this being an important moment in both players careers as Auger-Aliassime looks for a landmark moment in his career.
It should be a fascinating contest but Rublev’s resurgence should continue with a comfortable victory.
Prediction: Rublev in straight sets.
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