Rublev Starts Busy Day Of Action With Straight-Sets Win Over Molcan At The Italian Open
The Italian Open is one of the key milestones on the road to Roland-Garros and plenty of stars were in action on Saturday afternoon. Andrey Rublev was the first to move into the round of 32 on the day, joining the already qualified Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud, Cam Norrie and Novak Djokovic. Rublev defeated Slovakian Alex Molcan, marching into the third round in straight sets, 6-3-6-4.
The bottom half of the draw kicked into action in the second round of the Italian Open in Rome on Saturday afternoon as world No. 6 Andrey Rublev swept past Slovak Alex Molcan in straight sets, 6-3 6-4.
Molcan kept things tight, saving two of three break points in the first set and making just one unforced error, but was overcome in the decisive points.
Rublev’s two breaks of serve, one in each set, proved the difference in the 79-minute clash.
Shortly after the match concluded, rain stopped play to delay the remainder of the afternoon’s matches.
Molcan had edged past Italian qualifier Stefano Napolitano in the first round, while Rublev was handed a bye as a top seed.
Their only previous match, also on clay in the semi-finals of the Banja Luka event in Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this year, went the way of the Russian in straight sets.
The clay-court event in Rome is considered one of the key indicators of a player’s hopes of winning the French Open, along with the Monte-Carlo Masters, and the Madrid Open.
With Rublev having won in Monte-Carlo, he is eyeing a famous double that should set him up well for Roland-Garros.
Argentinian Guido Pella or Spain’s No. 27 seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will face Rublev in the next round.
Britain’s Dan Evans was leading Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena by one set to love, while Brazilian Thiago Monteiro held the same advantage over Croatian Borna Coric before rain halted play.
Once play resumed, Bernabe Zapata Miralles was the next to reach the fourth round as he cruised past Australian Jason Kubler, 6-4 6-1.
Kubler broke Miralles twice in the first set to move into a 3-0 lead but quickly saw his advantage evaporate as the Spaniard came roaring back. He won five of the next six games, crucially fighting off two break points in the 11th game of the set, before breaking Kubler for a third time to take the set in 52 minutes.
The Australian seemed to have expended all his energy in the first set as the second saw Miralles roll to victory. Kubler was twice broken but at least managed to stave off five match points before eventually succumbing in the seventh game of the set.
