Rublev, Defeated by Marozsan, Exits Early at Rome Masters 1000

Struggling since his title win in Doha, Andrey Rublev has failed to win two consecutive matches in the same tournament after his triumph in Qatar. The Russian, eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open, lost a significant portion of the points from his Madrid title last year after falling in the third round to Alexander Bublik.

Dropping out of the top 15 for the first time since early 2020, Rublev needed to bounce back in Rome. With a first-round bye, he began his campaign against Fabian Marozsan. The Hungarian made a name for himself in the Italian capital two years ago when he stunned Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.

This marked the third meeting of the season between the two, having previously faced off in Hong Kong (a win for Marozsan) and Rotterdam (where Rublev won in two tie-breaks). This time, the match was contested on clay.

Despite an early break in the first game, Rublev couldn’t capitalize, and Marozsan eventually took control, aided by his opponent’s inconsistency (12 winners and 12 unforced errors in the first set). However, the Russian fought back in the second set. Far more aggressive, he forced a decisive third set.

Yet, the script from the start of the match repeated itself. After a quick break, Rublev lost his serve twice in succession and never recovered. In the final game, the world No. 17 had two break-back opportunities, but the Hungarian, currently ranked 61st in the ATP, held firm to seal the win (7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in 2 hours and 22 minutes).

Having already defeated João Fonseca in the first round, Marozsan confirmed he is a tough opponent in this tournament and advanced to the round of 16. There, he will face the winner of the match between Matteo Gigante and Jakub Mensik, the latter recently crowned champion in Miami.