From qualifications… to the big sensation. While he had never beaten a player in the world top 20 until then, Alexandre Müller (27 years old), the last Frenchman competing at the Rome Masters, managed to overthrow Andrey Rublev (6th in the world) in three sets ( 3-6, 6-3, 6-2) in the third round. The best performance of his career? Without a doubt.
“It’s incredible, I didn’t expect to win, I knew I had my chances but it’s very special to beat Andreyhe explained after the match. I changed my tactics in the second set, I found the right tactics to beat him today.” Obviously satisfied, the one who will face the Italian Stefano Napolitano (125th) or the Chilean Nicolas Jarry (24th) in the round of 16 will savor the moment.
Audience cheers
Like Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic before him, Müller was entitled to the cheers of the Roman public when he took the footbridge which overlooks the Foro Italico and brings the players back to the “players”, where they have their locker room, restaurant and room sport. Eliminated, Nadal and Djokovic, respectively ten- and six-time winners of the Italian Open, have already left Rome. Müller, 27, will play at least one more match.
“I changed lots of little things as the match progressed, when serving, I tried not to look for the ace anymore (…) When I served hard, he returned very well, it didn’t bother him specially, I adapted my game a little and it went well“, Müller explained. “With my backhand, I was less aggressive, I hit it flatter so as not to be attacked, it was more neutralized, it could hurt me less (…) It happened little by little like a spider who weaves his web“, he detailed.
It’s the best victory of my career
“I am convinced that apart from two or three players who, when they walk on the water, are above, behind him he has his place, he can beat them all, he must be convinced of that“, insisted his coach Xavier Pujo who recently returned to his side after a three-year hiatus. His protégé, whose title of glory until then was his final of the ATP 250 tournament in Marrakech in 2023, refuses to get carried away .
“It’s incredible (…) It’s the best victory of my career. Is this the happiest day? I don’t really know, it’s a long, quiet river, never in extremes“, he swept away. “This will boost my confidence (…) Many say that I have all the weapons to make the top 10, it’s up to me to believe in it even more, I believe in it, but I should believe it more“, concluded the first Frenchman to reach the round of 16 in Rome since Ugo Humbert in 2016.