After eliminating Gaël Monfils in the previous round (3-1), the Russian Andrey Rublev (8th in the world) repeated the operation against another Frenchman, Arthur Rinderknech (73rd) with the same score (3-6, 6-3 , 6-1, 7-5), Saturday evening. There are no longer any French in the singles tables (men and women) of the US Open this year.
However, Rinderknech showed will in the exchanges from the first set, first surprising his opponent on his service games – with 5 break points in his favor – and a break made at 5-3 to pocket, in the stride, the first set (6-3).
Somewhat touched in his pride, Rublev answered him in the best possible way in the following set, also won 6-3. Once well settled in his match, the Russian decided to take the reins for good from the 3rd round. From 1-1, the Habs no longer saw the light of day and conceded five games in a row, and the set (6-1).
Rinderknech cracks on the 4th match point
The 4th and final set saw the two players win, one after the other, their face-offs, without conceding the slightest break point. Andrey Rublev then bet on the Frenchman’s serve, 5-4 in his favor, to put the pressure on him and, at the same time, put an end to the suspense. But Rinderknech, who at that time was looking for the support of the American public, saved 3 match points to give himself the right to hope a little longer.
The 28-year-old Var finally cracked two games later, still on his face-off, on the Russian’s 4th match point (7-5). End of the course for the French, while, for his part, Andrey Rublev will face the young Briton Jack Draper (21 years old, 123rd in the world), Monday.