ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 17, 2021

Andrey Rublev

Press Conference

A. RUBLEV/C. Ruud

6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Andrey, a word about your semifinal today against Casper. How does it feel to make it into your first Masters 1000 final, especially here in Monte-Carlo?

ANDREY RUBLEV: About the match, Casper start really well. He put high intensity, and that's why he was winning up with a break. I knew that I have to raise my level. I have to start to play more aggressive, to hit the ball more harder, otherwise I'm going to lose the match.

I start to do it little by little. I start to play more aggressive. Casper start to make more mistakes. I start to make more winners. I start to lead the match. That's how I won the first set. That was the key.

Then second set, as soon as I was winning, then he broke me back. I slowed down a bit. I start to play less aggressive, more defensive. That's when he step in and he started to play better and he start to dictate. That's also why he start to win in the second set.

I also, like, say to myself, If I want to win this match, I need to play the same way like was playing in the end of the first set. That's it. I was able to recover the second set in the end.

Q. Your mental toughness and calmness on court is on another level this tournament. So different than Miami. What is so different about this tournament?

ANDREY RUBLEV: It's lesson that I learn in Miami, and that's it. Yeah, in Miami was different situation. That's why I lost, because of my emotions. In the end if you want to learn, you will improve this. I hope I want to learn and I want to improve. That's why I'm doing better.

Of course, it's not easy. Some matches will still be up and downs. This week looks like I'm really controlling really well my emotions. That's why I'm doing well. That's why I won the match with Robert when I was losing. That's why I won the match against Rafa when he come back in second set. Even today the second set I come back because I didn't go crazy. I just keep focused. I keep staying in the match. It turn around.

Q. I have the feeling that we will see many Tsitsipas-Rublev finals in the next Masters 1000s. Is it a feeling you share? Do you think it's probable since Djokovic and Nadal are getting a little bit older so they have more ups and downs? Also, have you ever met Chesnokov, who was the only Russian in the finals in Monte-Carlo before you?

ANDREY RUBLEV: I mean, if you look my statistics, Stefanos is definitely one of the top guys I play the most. We play him already this year, we play so many matches last year. Of course, for the moment he's the top player that I'm playing the most, for sure.

The second question, I mean, I know him since long time. I mean, I didn't know that he did here final, but I know him since long time.

Q. About the final, how will you feel? Today you proved you were able to come back after a great match. That's not always easy. Tomorrow is the final. How will you feel? What do you expect?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Can you repeat again the question because somehow the sound was not so clear all the time.

Q. How will you feel, what do you expect from your first Masters 1000 final tomorrow?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Of course, I'm feeling great and happy to play one more final, especially my first ATP Masters final. It's going to be tough match. Like I said, we had already many battles with each other last year. Some of them he won, some of them I won. All of them were super tough three-set matches, most of them.

Not much to say. I hope we will show great tennis and people will enjoy.

Q. Everyone loves your way of playing, the way you hit strong forehand and backhand. Someone says to become a real 1 or 2, you should play even some more variety, dropshots, going to the net. Do you agree? Do you think this will change in the future or you think your way of playing will be the one you have always showed?

ANDREY RUBLEV: No, of course, I'm agree. You need to know how to do everything: dropshots, volleys. Of course, you need to know how to defends well. Of course, I'm trying to do it.

My main game is aggressive because this is what I was doing the best since I was kid. In the end all the players, they are starting to play with the things that they are doing best. Of course, they are learning. It's like some players who run so good and they defend so good, maybe they don't attack so well. All the matches most likely they are defending, but they're also trying to learn how to attack. It takes time.

Of course, I'm doing this better. I'm defending better. I start to go more to the net. Of course, not so perfect. Sometimes some mistakes. I'm starting to do this. Some matches I start to do dropshots. Even yesterday with Rafa, I did couple dropshots.

Of course, I'm trying to do it. It's not easy because it's something new. But I'm doing this. I'm trying to improve, improve.

Of course, if you want to be a better player on the next level, you need to know how to do everything. If you look at the best players, they do everything. They know how to volley, how to hit, how to defend, how to slice, everything.

That's easy answer (smiling).