Former Erste Financial institution Open champion Andrey Rublev equalled his personal-best season on Friday when he defeated Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 to earn his 53rd win of the 12 months.
The 26-year-old, who has additionally notched 53 victories in 2021, hit with relentless depth in opposition to Zverev, red-lining the ball off each wings. He struck 24 winners to advance to the semi-finals after two hours and 32 minutes in Vienna.
Rublev certified for the Nitto ATP Finals earlier this week and continued his spectacular type with a hard-working win in opposition to Zverev, saving all six break factors he confronted within the third set to enhance to 3-5 within the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head collection.
The third seed, who triumphed in Vienna in 2020, will proceed the search for his third title of the 12 months and sixth ATP 500 crown total when he meets Jannik Sinner or Frances Tiafoe within the final 4. Earlier this season, Rublev lifted trophies in Monte-Carlo and Bastad, whereas he arrived in Vienna off the again of a remaining run in Shanghai.
Zverev’s defeat has barely dented his Nitto ATP Finals qualification probabilities. The German, who’s a two-time champion on the prestigious year-end occasion, is seventh within the Pepperstone ATP Reside Race To Turin, 405 factors away from ninth-placed Taylor Fritz, who’s simply outdoors the High 8 minimize.