2022 Vienna Open: Andrey Rublev stuns Diego Schwartzman; Fritz advances
Third-seeded Andrey Rublev tamed Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the first round at the Vienna Open. The world number eight claimed a straight-set win (6-4, 6-1) to progress further. He will be up against either Grigor Dimitrov or qualifier Thiago Monteiro in R16 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, American Taylor Fritz overcame Yoshihito Nishioka in three sets to advance deeper in the ATP 500 event. Here's more.
A look at key stats from the match
Rublev smashed a staggering seven aces. He didn't concede a single double fault in contrast to his opponent (3). Notably, he converted four of his nine break points. He captured a total of 72 points, including 38 from serves.
Rublev ups his W/L record against Schwartzman
Rublev now commands a 3-1 win-loss record against the Argentine. He suffered a five-set defeat at the Roland Garros in 2017. He has since won each of their last three bouts (Laver Cup and San Diego in 2021, and now Vienna).
Rublev seeks his 5th ATP title in 2022
Rublev boasts a 47-16 win-loss record in the season. The tally includes titular wins in Marseille, Dubai, Belgrade, and lately in Gijon, where he trounced Sebastian Korda 6-2, 6-3. Meanwhile, he exited in the quarter-finals at the French Open and US Open. Besides, Rublev has seized 12 titles in his men's singles career and holds a 232-128 win-loss record.
Rublev eyes an ATP Finals berth
Rublev, who is seated sixth in the ATP Live Race to Turin, can grab a seat at the ATP Finals given he has a deep run in the tournament. He needs to finish within the top seven to guarantee qualification. Notably, it would be his third successive appearance at the year-end summit. He exited at the round-robin stage in the last two editions.
Fritz strikes back!
Fourth-seeded Fritz scripted a comeback to beat Nishioka 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-3. The 24-year-old has already pocketed three tour-level titles this season, with the most recent being the Japan Open, where he bested Frances Tiafoe 7-6(3), 7-6(2). He will face either Canadian Denis Shapovalov or Austrian wild card Jurij Rodionov in the second round.
