Sam Bunce
Andrey Rublev defeated Jack Draper 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 to win his second title in Doha.
Rublev won the opening set as he did against Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime in his two previous matches. He concluded the first set of the final with a penetrative forehand passing shot, which flew by the Brit’s left side, as Draper’s reaction time couldn’t match the speed of the shot.
This made it 7-5 and rounded off the set in confident fashion for Rublev, who would have the better momentum of the two players.
The second set was hopeful for Draper, who was forced to retire against Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open after three five-set matches, which dealt him a bad hand even more so when facing the durable Spaniard at the grand slam.
In Qatar, he has excelled and has been duly rewarded with his wins. Britain’s world number one in men’s tennis dispatched Matteo Berrettini, who in his first match put together a well-crafted performance bypassing Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
Draper then defeated Jiri Lehecka in the semi-finals and it was one of Draper’s best and most well-rounded tennis displays, and he got the result to show for it. He really tested out several variations of shots and elected the drop shot and shorter shots to catch his opponent on his heels.
He remained composed in comparison to some at this tournament, where the execution of winners have been reckless even amongst those in the top seeds who are renowned for living and breathing composure.
Returning to this final contest, the 16th seed Brit broke the serve of Andrey Rublev at 5-5, causing the Russian to smash his racket on the floor and vent his exasperation towards his coaching team.
Another strong game followed for Draper, and despite his injury and fatigue problems that have plagued him at some recent tournaments, this display in Qatar was something which supports his potential, like in his win in Vienna and US Open semi-finalist feat in last year’s tour.
However, Andrey Rublev turned out to be fired up and ready to seize control in the deciding set, as he stormed to winning four games in a row and executed on two of his break points.
Rublev had never been defeated by Jack Draper and it was his opportunity to retain his form so he could hold on tight to his spot in the top 10 rather than having to keep fighting to climb the rankings, especially as he has not yet featured beyond the quarter-finals of any major in his career.
He finished with an ace to cap off a final set which showcased his ability to persevere in Qatar. He moved Draper corner to corner well throughout the match and ensured he was never on the back foot for long periods.
Rublev will embark on his ambition to achieve wins in the deeper stages of the majors, which many say separates him from becoming a more respected figure of the sport.
Meanwhile, Jack Draper has asserted himself to tennis as a player with a varied and successful skill set, which will hopefully mean that the British tennis scene in 2025 really puts itself on the map.
Yet, in Qatar already, joining the men’s singles finalist was an all-British affair for the double’s final as Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash partnered up to face Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.
This was the first time all players on the court were British for an ATP final since the Nottingham Open in 2023 and this was a rare occurrence. But it shows that these partnerships have developed trusted chemistry and are successful.
Cash and Glasspool edged past their compatriots on the other side of the net in straight sets in Qatar.
They made their debut together last September and have since emerged winners in Tokyo and Brisbane.
One of their opponents, Salibsury, was a former world number one, like his teammate, Skupski, who amassed seven titles in 2022 including one in Doha. They defeated second seeds Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara in the semi-finals to reach the final.
Both players have tasted success at the highest level and were looking to exert their experience to get over the line once more in the middle east.
But Cash and Glasspool, with a partnership which is blossoming so early on into their time working together, were unstoppable on the hard court and took home the trophy in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.
They won 82% of points behind their own serve and clinically finished the majority of points in the right areas with power. Agile and alert on the net and confident in one another, they really conducted many of the games in a manner that would ultimately spur them onto victory come the closing games.
The Qatar Open has been a tennis tournament held since 1993. Despite the city’s recent association with hosting major sporting events which have lured a lot of money and attention towards them, the Qatar Open fails to bring in the same magnitude of spectators.
It is simply another ATP 500 event that is overshadowed by the grand slams.
The British triumphs in Doha, however, were promising for the outlook of tennis. In those upcoming grand slams, the questions remain as to if Jack Draper can overcome the final hurdle, and become Britain’s first grand slam winner since Andy Murray’s victory at Wimbledon in 2016.
The sky is also the limit for the partnerships of the Doha doubles finalists, if they remain intact and build on the progression in Qatar. We could see some serious contenders to challenge the likes of Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic, who are also flying high at the moment in the doubles. There is a revival of British men’s tennis which could truly take shape if Qatar is not a one off. Keep your eyes peeled for these five Brits in the coming months.
Sam Bunce
Featured image courtesy of @matthias_d via Unsplash. Image use license found here (Unsplash). No changes were made to this image.
In article image 1 courtesy of @andreyrublev via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 2 courtesy of @jackdraper via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 3 courtesy of @atptour via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
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