Taylor Fritz vs. Andrey Rublev: Where to Watch, ATP Toronto Preview

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Estimated start time: 7:00 p.m. ET, Tuesday, August 5

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Taylor Fritz vs. Andrey Rublev: Match Preview

The American and the Russian have had roughly parallel careers. They’re both 27; they both gradually worked their way into the Top 10, and into the second weeks of Slams; and they both seemed for a time to be stuck at the quarterfinal stage of Slams. In the past year, though, Fritz has continued his slow and steady slog upward, while Rublev has spun his wheels. Fritz made the final at the US Open last year, and the semis at Wimbledon last month. Rublev, meanwhile, is 0-10 in Grand Slam quarters, and hasn’t reached one since the start of 2024. After a long period where Rublev was ranked higher than Fritz, the two have gone in opposite directions there as well: Fritz is now No. 4, Rublev No. 11.

Fritz also leads their head-to-head 5-4, and he’s 5-2 on hard courts. Rublev, though, won their most recent meeting, on clay in Madrid last spring.

As for their form so far in Toronto, we can probably call it even. Rublev is coming off a three-set win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who retired down 0-3 in the third. Fritz is coming off an even closer contest with Jiri Lehecka, which went to three tiebreakers. In the last one, Fritz trailed 2-4 before winning five of the next six points to advance. He won two of them with aces.

Those last two facts may spell the difference in this match. Fritz will win more free points with his serve, and Rublev’s spinny second delivery is a liability. Fritz, as he did against Lehecka, has also shown a knack over the years for finding a way to survive close matches and deciding tiebreakers.

My question about Fritz, though, is whether he now thinks of himself as a better player than Rublev. Yes, he’s higher ranked, and yes, he has a winning record against him. But there was a period not long ago when Rublev was a level above him. We’ll see if that has any residual effect if Rublev keeps this close. Winner: Fritz