Andrey Rublev calls for peace in Russia-Ukraine war before Dubai final against Daniil Medvedev
It’s been over a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and Andrei Rublev is still trying to handle the war while on the court.
On the eve of the all-Russian final of the Dubai tennis championship, where he will meet Daniil Medvedev on Saturday, Rublev calls for peace.
“You can’t pretend that nothing is happening,” Rublev. . “It’s horrible. It’s crazy that so many ordinary citizens are suffering and dying. It’s just not easy.”
No. 6 Rublev beat No. 16 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 in Thursday’s semi-finals, earning him a place in Saturday’s final in Dubai. It was his first victory over Zverev in six meetings.
After this victory, Rublev approached the camera and wrote “Tsoi is alive” on the lens. The message, according to him, is dedicated to the memory of the former Russian musician Viktor Tsoi.
“He was one of the artists of the last generation who I think sounded very loud in the USSR because his voice was really powerful,” Rublev said. “It was a difficult time. At that moment, I didn’t exist yet, but it was a difficult time, but his voice was really powerful. The lyrics he wrote gave people a lot of hope at the time. I just wrote this because I feel like things like this are happening right now, at this time.”
The move was similar to what he did at the Dubai Open last year.
Rublev and Medvedev, as well as other representatives of Russia and Belarus, are not allowed to perform under the Russian flag due to the war. . They were also banned from several events due to the Russian invasion, including Wimbledon, a decision that drew a lot of criticism.
Medvedev reached the final by beating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-final match. Rublev has beaten Medvedev in the last two matches, but Medvedev holds a 4-2 series record.
While the focus will be on their Saturday match, Rublev knows it’s impossible to completely forget what’s going on just a few thousand miles to the north.
“It’s hard to understand,” Rublev said. “Of course it affects [me]. It doesn’t matter how you try to do other things. The only thing I hope for is that peace will soon come to all countries.”
Source: sports.yahoo.com
