Rublev Silences Critics with Thrilling Five-Set Win at US Open: Match Highlights & Analysis

Andrey Rublev storms into the US Open 2025 second week determined to rewrite a storyline that has dogged him for years: the elusive Grand Slam quarter-final breakthrough. The world No. 7 routed Hong Kong qualifier Coleman Wong 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday night, booking a Round-of-16 clash with long-time rival Felix Auger-Aliassime. Rublev vs Auger-Aliassime: a familiar feud The Russian owns a dominant 7-1 head-to-head against the Canadian, including straight-sets wins in Madrid and Halle earlier this season. Yet their New York meetings have been thrillers: Rublev needed five sets to prevail in the 2022 fourth round before falling in the quarters two days later. Monday’s daytime showdown on Arthur Ashe Stadium offers him a chance to flip that script and finally push beyond the last eight. Keys to the match • First-serve percentage: Rublev has landed 63 % of first deliveries through three rounds, producing 37 aces but also 21 double faults. Against Auger-Aliassime’s explosive return game, keeping his first serve above 65 % will be critical. • Forehand aggression: The world No. 7 is striking forehands at an average 135 km/h this fortnight, the fastest of any player left in the top half of the draw. • Court positioning: Rublev has shortened points effectively—his average rally length versus Wong was just 4.2 shots—yet the Canadian thrives in extended exchanges. The lingering “quarter-final curse” Rublev has reached the final eight at majors nine times without advancing further, the most in men’s tennis history without a semi-final berth. He dismissed talk of a mental block after his third-round win: “If I keep putting myself in that position, one day the door will open.” A victory over Auger-Aliassime would guarantee another shot—and perhaps his best opportunity yet, with top seed Carlos Alcaraz already upset in the opposite quarter. Off-court spotlight and a $3,000 fine Rublev has kept emotions in check since being fined $3,000 for an audible obscenity during his opener, an outburst he said was “directed only at myself”. “I learned; I cannot waste energy,” he noted, adding that the incident reminded him to channel frustration into focus. What a win would mean • Rankings boost: Reaching the quarter-finals would secure at least 360 points, lifting him to a live No. 5 spot. • ATP Finals race: Rublev currently sits sixth; a semi-final berth would virtually lock his Turin ticket. • Historical milestone: Breaking the quarter-final barrier would make him the first Russian man since Daniil Medvedev (2022) to reach a US Open semi. Match schedule and how to watch The Rublev–Auger-Aliassime battle is slated third on Ashe Monday, not before 2:30 p.m. local time (18:30 UTC). ESPN and Eurosport carry live coverage, with streaming on ESPN+ and discovery+. Projected path to the title Round of 16: vs Felix Auger-Aliassime Quarter-final: likely Alex de Minaur or Jannik Sinner Semi-final: potential clash with Casper Ruud Final: Novak Djokovic or Daniil Medvedev lurk in the bottom half Bottom line Andrey Rublev arrives at this pivotal fourth-round encounter playing some of his sharpest hard-court tennis, armed with a favorable matchup history and the motivation to finally shatter his quarter-final ceiling. If he tames both his serve and his emotions, the 27-year-old could turn Labor Day in New York into the launching pad for the deepest Slam run of his career—and reshape the narrative that has trailed him for seasons.