(Reuters) – Andrey Rublev started his ATP Finals marketing campaign with a victory over Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas however three hours earlier than the match, the Russian had no concept what day it was after waking up dazed and confused following a pre-match nap.
Rublev beat world quantity 4 and 2019 champion Tsitsipas 6-4 6-4 https://www.reuters.com/life-style/sports activities/djokovic-downs-debutant-ruud-winning-start-atp-finals-2021-11-15 on Monday on the again of some superb serving, however the 24-year-old Russian was clearly not used to taking part in late after his group match was scheduled for 9 p.m. native time in Turin.
“Through the day, I had numerous time and I made a decision to sleep. Usually I do not sleep through the day – even when I strive, I by no means go to sleep – and at the moment I fell asleep for greater than an hour,” Rublev instructed reporters.
“I set the alarm for six:00 p.m. and once I wakened, it was so darkish. I felt utterly damaged, like if somebody wakes you up at 7:00 a.m.
“I used to be considering, ‘No, I am not going to get up now. I’ll sleep for an additional half hour’, as a result of usually within the morning I set many alarms. Like this, I can sleep longer. At the least mentally I believe like this.
“Then I have a look at the time and it was 6:00 p.m… I begin to realise, ‘Oh, I fell asleep through the day. I’ve a match in a few hours. I must get up’.”
Rublev, second within the Inexperienced Group, subsequent performs world primary Novak Djokovic, who beat Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-6(4) 6-2.
“He is one of many best gamers in historical past, so I do not know what to say,” Rublev stated of Djokovic. “I hope I’ll win a few video games, however the actuality is the one factor I can do is to do my greatest and consider in myself.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Modifying by Shrivathsa Sridhar)
