'No war please': Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev

Andrey Rublev’s ‘no war please’ plea, which he put down in writing on a television camera at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis championships, summed up his stand on the situation in Ukraine. On the court, the 24-year-old’s tennis was decisive, he picked apart the challenge of Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely for a 6-3, 6-4 win that gave Rublev a second singles title in as many weeks.

The Russian, whose unruly crown sometimes mirrors his temperament, sent down 13 aces in the 81-minute final that made him richer by USD 523,740. Rublev, unlike in his earlier engagements this week, was off the blocks swiftly. He broke the seasoned Vesely in the fourth game to swing the early advantage. The Russian then struck at the start of the second set, topping the Czech in his service game. Rublev was broken as the Czech levelled for three-all. The world No. 7 returned the compliment before serving out the match.