DOHA, Qatar — Andrey Rublev celebrated a remarkable victory over Jack Draper, clinching the Qatar Open title for the second time with a scoreline of 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
This triumph marked Rublev’s third consecutive three-set win in just three days. In his earlier matches against Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime, he also encountered challenges, dropping the second set.
“I maintained a strong mental focus and didn’t allow frustration to take control,” Rublev shared. “Whenever I felt overwhelmed, I managed to reset and maintain my intensity. That was the key to my success.”
This victory marks the 17th title of Rublev’s impressive career, having first claimed the Doha trophy in 2020.
“This is the first title I’ve won twice,” Rublev reflected. “Both of us were completely drained after our grueling matches that went late into the night. It was tough, yet we managed to deliver a strong performance. After dropping the second set, I decided to let it go and play more freely.”
With this victory, Rublev improved his head-to-head record against Draper to 4-0.
Meanwhile, Draper is set to reach a career-high ranking of No. 12 on Monday.
“We battled hard throughout the week, and in the final set, he was just a bit too strong for me,” Draper acknowledged. “I take pride in my performance this week. Each day, I strive to improve, and this outcome reflects my dedication and hard work.”
