World No. 8 Andrey Rublev is clearly raising his level of tennis to the next level. The 23-year-old bagged five titles in 2020 after winning the Vienna Open 2020. Although he couldn’t perform well at the ATP Finals 2020, he defeated the runner-up of the tournament Dominic Thiem in his final match.

In a recent interview, Rublev said that though the competition was over for him before facing Thiem, he still wanted to win that match. He revealed his feelings while Dominic Thiem, who was just trying to save his energy in that game.

“The match was still important, as it is 200 points,” began a confident Rublev. “This is a lot when you realize that they will remain until the end of next year. This is a big advantage, so the match was important for Tim as well.”

(Quotes have been translated)

The Russian believes that every game is important, especially the one giving 200 points. He even emphasized that everyone played their game seriously. “It is clear that when you know that you are definitely going out or not, these are not psychologically the same sensations. But everyone played seriously. For everyone, this match was something important in its own way. I managed to cope with emotions,” added the 23-year-old.

One can infer that Rublev was clearly trying to say that the approach mattered to him. Although he was out of the tournament, he surely wanted to end his season on a high.

“Have the opportunity to finish the year second in the world”- Andrey Rublev on Dominic Thiem

While speaking on the issue, Rublev highlighted that Thiem should have played with the intent of winning because he would have finished the year as World No. 2 otherwise.

“He would have the opportunity to finish the year second in the world, and these are completely different bonuses and a completely different status. He has never been second in the world,” continued the World No. 8.

The Russian also talked about how he played differently in his match against Thiem and how it helped him. “I started with the first point very well. In the match with Tsitsipas, the opposite happened: he started very well, but I was not so good. In the match with Dominic, I started very well. When you play in the hall, then it is already very difficult to seize such an initiative,” concluded Rublev.

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Tennis doesn’t only revolve around one’s gameplay, but also around the intent one shows. Despite not qualifying for the semis, Rublev showed great fighting spirit. His fans expect that the upcoming season will be even better for the young player and will hope that he wins his first Grand Slam soon.

Also Read: Could Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, and Others Bring ‘Big Three Dominance’ Curtains Down in 2021?