The number nine seed overcame Kwon Soon-woo of South Korea
Rublev made light work of his rival. © Mike Stobe / Getty Images
Russia’s Andrey Rublev set up a third-round US Open meeting with Canadian rival Denis Shapovalov after easing past South Korean player Kwon Soon-woo in New York on Thursday.
Ninth seed Rublev defeated his world number 81 rival in straight sets, 6-3 6-0 6-4, in a contest lasting one hour and 43 minutes at Flushing Meadows.
Rublev, 24, next faces a step up in competition when he meets 19th seed Shapovalov – who overcame Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena in four sets in their second-round clash.
Andrey Rublev rolls into Round 3. pic.twitter.com/G9aakbThRc
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2022
Rublev and the 23-year-old Shapovalov have faced each other four times previously on the ATP tour, sharing two wins apiece and with the Russian winning their last match in St. Petersburg back in 2020.
The Moscow-born Rublev is a two-time former quarterfinalist in New York – achieving that feat in 2017 and 2020 – while Shapovalov’s best US Open run to date is also a quarterfinal appearance in 2020.
Thursday’s outing for Rublev proved much more straightforward than his first-round affair, when he was forced to survive a five-set battle with Serbia’s Laslo Dere.
In breezing past Kwon, Rublev fired down 12 aces and converted six break points – dropping serve just once, which came in the third set.
Elsewhere among the Russian players in New York, there was disappointment for Anastasia Potapova, 21, in the second round of the women’s singles draw as she lost a tight contest against Chinese teenager Qinwen Zheng, 6-7 (4-7) 6-7 (3-7).
Russian 28th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova was also ousted after a shock defeat to world number 105 Lauren Davis of the US in a three-set tussle.
Favorite Alexandrova had appeared to be cruising after handing her rival a bagel in the first set, only to lose the second set 4-6.
The decisive set went to a tiebreak, which the American won 10-5 to set up a third-round match with top seed and world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland.
