Fifth Consecutive Loss for Rublev: ATP Finals Slip Away for the Russian

Andrey Rublev suffered another defeat, this time in Vienna, against Cameron Norrie. A setback that jeopardizes the Russian's chances of competing in the ATP Finals.

Ranked 14th in the Race, Rublev had hoped to shine at the ATP 500 in Vienna to keep his qualification hopes alive for the ATP Finals, having participated in the last five editions of the Masters. As the 7th seed, the Russian faced Cameron Norrie in his opening match in the Austrian capital.

The British player has often posed problems for Rublev in the past, even though the latter led their head-to-head 3-2 before today's match.

Despite hitting 32 winners in the match, Rublev, who completely missed his start, was defeated. However, there was a reaction from the 28-year-old player, who was trailing 6-2, 5-3.

He managed to win the tie-break in the second set but couldn't maintain the momentum on his side. Thus, the British left-hander prevailed in three sets (6-2, 6-7, 6-2 in 2 hours and 5 minutes).

The world number 35 advances to the round of 16 at the ATP 500 in Vienna and will face Alexei Popyrin or Matteo Berrettini for a spot in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Rublev records his fifth consecutive loss since his five-set victory over Coleman Wong in the third round of the US Open.

Barring a miracle, which would mean winning the title at the Paris Masters 1000 next week, Rublev is not expected to compete in the ATP Finals for the sixth consecutive year, having reached the semifinals in 2022 against Casper Ruud.