Rublev defeats De Minaur in Qatar Open quarterfinals

In a thrilling quarter-final match at the Qatar Open, Andrey Rublev defeated Alex de Minaur 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8) after a dramatic encounter where de Minaur saved seven match points. Rublev, who faced significant resistance from the Australian, humorously expressed his frustration, saying, "I wanna punch him" after the match. The contest lasted nearly two hours and forty minutes, highlighting de Minaur's tenacity as he even managed to earn a match point in the tiebreaker. With this victory, Rublev advanced to the semifinals, where he will face Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime, who reached the next round after Daniil Medvedev retired due to food poisoning. De Minaur's close loss adds to his heartache after recently falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the Rotterdam Open final. Both players showed remarkable skill and determination, making it a memorable match for tennis fans.