Andrey Rublev ignites Los Cabos quest, reaches 80th career quarter-final

Los Cabos

Rublev ignites Los Cabos quest, reaches 80th career QF

Nava saves 4 match points; Duckworth upsets Davidovich Fokina at ATP 250

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Andrey Rublev is chasing his second trophy of 2025. By Jerome Coombe

Andrey Rublev returned to winning ways on hard courts on Wednesday evening at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo, where he kickstarted his debut campaign in Los Cabos.

The top-seeded Rublev delivered a big-hitting display to prevail 6-3, 6-2 against Mexican wild card Alex Hernandez in 74 minutes at the ATP 250 event. In his first hard-court victory since capturing the title in Doha in February, Rublev hit 26 winners and won 92 per cent (22/24) of first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“It’s not easy when you’re top seed and you’re playing someone local, especially when you don’t know the guy,” said Rublev, who is into his 80th tour-level quarter-final. “I’m happy that I was able to win today in straight sets, that’s the most important thing.”

Rublev arrived in Los Cabos off the back of a fourth-round run at Wimbledon, where he fell to Carlos Alcaraz, and is this week chasing his second trophy of the season. The No. 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings will next face Emilio Nava, who saved four match points to rally past sixth seed Buyunchaokete 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(6).

The 23-year-old Nava trailed 2/6 in the final-set tie-break before reeling off six straight points in a stunning comeback to record multiple wins at a tour-level event for the first time.

Denis Shapovalov followed Rublev into the quarter-finals with a similarly clinical display, dispatching American qualifier Govind Nanda 6-1, 6-2 in just 60 minutes. After winning the title in Dallas and reaching the semi-finals in Acapulco, the third-seeded Shapovalov is into his third quarter-final of the season.

Watch Extended Highlights of Day 3 in Los Cabos:

He will next face Tristan Schoolkate, who was one of three Australians to advance on Wednesday evening in Los Cabos. Schoolkate defeated fifth seed Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-4 and is up nine spots to a career-high No. 101 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

James Duckworth advanced to his first quarter-final in 13 months by upsetting second seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-4 and setting a meeting with countryman Adam Walton. The eighth-seeded Walton eased past #NextGenATP Nishesh Basavareddy 6-1, 6-0 in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash, saving all three of the break points he faced.

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