Andrey Rublev storms to 250th hard-court win of career with opening victory in Toronto

Andrey Rublev made a winning beginning to his campaign in Toronto on Wednesday, overpowering Frenchman Hugo Gaston in his opening match at the Masters 1000 event, 6-2, 6-3.

He converted four of six break points—and saved four of the five he faced himself—en route to the one-hour, 26-minute victory.

"It was a solid match," he said. "I was playing quite well and quite focused. The conditions are tough here, it's super hot, and he's a tough player for these conditions because he has fast legs."

And it was a special victory: the 250th hard-court win of his career.

Rublev, who was born in 1997, is just the second man born in 1997 or later to reach that incredible milestone, after Alexander Zverev.

Only five men born in 1990 or later have gotten to 250.

MOST HARD-COURT WINS, MEN BORN IN 1990 OR LATER (tour-level):

• 318: Grigor Dimitrov [born in 1991]
• 309: Daniil Medvedev [born in 1996]
• 285: Alexander Zverev [born in 1997]
• 264: Milos Raonic [born in 1990]
• 250: Andrey Rublev [born in 1997]
• 228: David Goffin [born in 1990]
• 218: Stefanos Tsitsipas [born in 1998] (playing today)
• 216: Taylor Fritz [born in 1997] (playing today)
• 210: Alex de Minaur [born in 1999] (playing today)

Rublev had a difficult few months between February and May of this year, going 2-7 in seven events and seeing his ranking drop from No. 9 to No. 17—but since the week before Roland Garros he’s snapped back into form, going 13-6 in his last seven events, highlighted by a final in Hamburg, back-to-back fourth rounds at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and a semifinal in Los Cabos.

After Wimbledon, he returned to the Top 10 for two weeks—at No. 10—before dipping to No. 11 this week after De Minaur bounced back into the elite following his title run in Washington D.C.

Awaiting the No. 6-seeded Rublev in the third round will be either No. 28 seed Lorenzo Sonego or China's Bu Yunchaokete.

Rublev is a former finalist in Canada, finishing runner-up to Alexei Popyrin when the Masters 1000 event was held in Montreal last year.