'Cruel' twist ends 'crazy', dramatic five-set epic

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Commentators could hardly judge what they were seeing arsenic men's No.6 effect Andrey Rublev outlasted teen sensation Holger Rune successful a lucifer "with much twists and turns than a Dan Brown novel".

That punctuation came from erstwhile South African nonrecreational Rob Koenig, who spent the last hr of the five-set epic connected the borderline of his spot and, presumably, his hands connected his head.

It wasn't the highest level of tennis seen astatine this Australian Open but the lucifer surely provided much play than your mean world show.

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At 1 constituent Koenig astir recovered himself mislaid for words wrong the commentary box.

"What is going on?" Koenig said precocious successful the 5th set.

"It's conscionable unbelievable what is going on."

Match Highlights: Andrey Rublev v Holger Rune

Rublev yet won the lucifer 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (11-9) successful 3 hours and 39 minutes connected Rod Laver Arena.

But not earlier helium looked down and retired respective times, lone for 19-year-old Rune to capitulate himself.

"The magnitude of play successful the past hr oregon truthful was thing I person seldom seen connected a tennis court," Koenig said aft the match.

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Rublev won the archetypal acceptable and past Rune the second, earlier the second had to person aesculapian attraction and had doctors checking his humor unit courtside.

Commentators and fans assumed Rune wouldn't past the distance, having gestured to his container "I'm done" during the 3rd set, which Rublev took.

But Rune someway rebounded successful the 4th and it was Rublev who looked retired for the count.

Rune broke aboriginal successful the fifth, past had lucifer points, but Rublev someway saved them and past broke backmost to nonstop it to a ace tiebreak.

The teen past won the archetypal 5 points of the tiebreak and, erstwhile again, helium looked destined to win.

"This is simply a reasonably mature happening to do... to soak up each that disappointment (of missing lucifer points), and past travel backmost and get the archetypal 5 points successful a tiebreak," John Fitzgerald said.

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"Impressive."

But Rune played it harmless and Rublev went connected the attack, mounting an unthinkable comeback to triumph the tiebreak 11-9.

"What an perfectly brainsick seesaw match," Jim Courier said.

Even the last constituent of the lucifer was dramatic.

Rublev led the tiebreak 10-9 erstwhile helium deed a level backhand that smashed into the nett tape, lone to autumn connected Rune's broadside of the nett and interruption the teen's heart.

Koenig called it a "cruel" extremity to an epic match.

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The brace embraced afterwards, and Rublev was inactive catching his enactment erstwhile being interviewed connected court.

"I don't astir rollercoaster... this is similar they enactment a weapon to your head," Rublev said erstwhile asked astir his chosen sport.

"Rollercoaster is overmuch easier.

"I person nary words, man. I americium shaking."

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