Andrey Rublev is the sixth best tennis player in the world. He is hard-working and sincere, and with those qualities has built a great career at the top of his profession. At 25, he is moving into his physical peak, and should feature at the top of the sport for years to come.
Against the best, the very best, none of that means a thing. On Wednesday night, Rublev entered Novak Djokovic’s lair, night-time on Rod Laver Arena, and for two hours he stood helplessly on the baseline as the nine-times Australian Open champion tore him apart 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to return to the semi-finals.
