2021 Monte-Carlo Masters Final – Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
Where is Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev taking place? Monte Carlo Country Club, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France
When is Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev on and what time does it start? Sunday 18th April, 2021 – not before 13:30 (UK)
What surface is Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev being played on? Clay (outdoor)
Where can I get tickets for Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev? No tickets are available as this tournament will take place without spectators
What channel is Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev on? This match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Andrey Rublev? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream the match live via their platform. Subscribers of Tennis TV can also stream the match live
THE LOWDOWN
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS
- World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas was exceptional against Dan Evans in the first semi-final on Saturday at the Monte-Carlo masters, defeating the Brit in comprehensive straight sets.
- The 22-year-old if through to his third career ATP Masters 1000 final having lost to Rafael Nadal at the 2018 Rogers Cup and Novak Djokovic at the 2019 Madrid Masters.
ANDREY RUBLEV
- World number eight Andrey Rublev took out one of the best performers of the week in Norway’s Casper Ruud via an emphatic straight-sets win in the second semi-final on Saturday.
- The Russian has more ATP titles to his name (8) than Tsitsipas (5) after spending the last 15 or so months as arguably the most consistent performer on tour.
This will be a heated and high-quality seventh encounter between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev and their head-to-head record is perfectly poised at three wins apiece ahead of the Monte-Carlo Masters final. The Greek star has been in superb form all week and will have spent a significantly smaller amount of time on court than his opponent, though Rublev has the defeat of 11-time champion Rafael Nadal to boast for his longer total minutes. Tsitsipas’ route to the final has been the easier of the two, and he is perhaps the player better suited to this surface, but Rublev will take a lot of confidence through to his first ATP 1000 final having taken out Nadal and then in-form Casper Ruud. They have a win each against each other on clay, with Tsitsipas winning in the quarter-final of Roland-Garros last year not long after Rublev beaten him in the Hamburg Open final and that could be the difference here.
Rublev’s determination is second to none, with his mentality possibly his greatest strength. He plays every match like a final which is certainly the reason why he is so often referred to as a flat-track bully and that term can sometimes sound like a criticism when in truth it makes him favourite here. The 23-year-old consistently plays to his level, defeating the players he should beat and sometimes struggling against the players above him but this week he proved that he is good enough to beat the truly elite players. The world number eight has played in 11 finals on tour and, incredibly, has won the last nine in a row. In contrast, Tsitsipas’ mentality is almost definitely his greatest weakness as he can get complacent after going a break up, tight if he is behind for too long and he can cut an angsty figure on court at times if the match is not going his way. He has lost his last three finals, including one to Rublev on clay last season, and the Russian’s steely determination should see him win a tenth final in a row.
