Mubadala World Tennis Championship set for gripping finale

ABU DHABI: The final of the 14th Mubadala World Tennis Championship promises to be a thrilling affair between defending champion Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas following a scintillating day of semifinal action at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, in Abu Dhabi.

In the first semifinal match of the day, World No. 4 Tsitsipas, the 2021 French Open finalist, overcame World No. 3 Casper Ruud 6-2, 6-2, to book his spot in the final.

With the Tennis Village and stadium court in full swing, Tsitsipas put on a gutsy performance and showed dominance all through the match. After losing the first set, Ruud tried to come out fighting in set two, but Greek star Tsitsipas secured successive breaks in the fifth and seventh games in a five-game run to wrap up victory.

After booking a personal second successive MWTC final spot, having made it to the final on debut in 2019, Tsitsipas said: “Overall, everything is there. I’m able to close off points, my movement seems to be good. I’m happy with how I move, how I respond to difficult shots and how I’m trying to get out of tough situations. It was great being out in the court.”

One impressive victory was followed by another with defending MWTC champion Rublev getting the better of World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, as the MWTC once again lived up to its billing as the Arabian Gulf’s leading professional tennis experience.

The second semifinal match was an eagerly awaited clash between Rublev and Alcaraz. Roared on by a knowledgeable and passionate crowd, both players put on a fine performance, but Rublev, who has shown he feels at home on the International Tennis Centre court, turned on the style to win 6-2, 6-1.

“I was lucky that I played a match on Day 1 of the