Khachanov jokes Rublev might stop Madrid doubles after beating team-mate

Karen Khachanov is hoping that he nonetheless has a doubles accomplice in Madrid after beating team-mate Andrey Rublev within the singles draw. The associates confronted off for the second Masters occasion in a row, with the world No 12 successful 7-6(8) 6-4. And Khachanov joked that he’d must ask Rublev in the event that they’d nonetheless have the ability to play collectively forward of their doubles quarter-final.

Khachanov and Rublev have been seeing a variety of one another on the tennis courtroom not too long ago and performed doubles collectively in each Monte Carlo and Madrid in addition to dealing with one another in singles at each occasions. After shedding their Monte Carlo Masters conflict, the elder Russian bought revenge in Madrid by beating his teammate. 

But the win comes at a clumsy time, with the 26-year-old set to hitch forces with Rublev within the doubles on Wednesday because the pair contest their quarter-final match in opposition to Jamie Murray and Michael Venus. After beating his team-mate, Khachanov joked that he would want to verify whether or not the world No 6 nonetheless needed to play with him.

“I mean I hope so, I hope he will play with me tomorrow,” he laughed when requested about their doubles quarter-final. “I need to see. I will ask him.” But Khachanov already is aware of what it’s wish to be in Rublev’s place, as he misplaced to his buddy lower than three weeks in the past.

He continued: “But definitely, at the end of the day this match is over. We need to have some time maybe to absorb it. That’s how it was in Monte Carlo. The day before we played doubles, we lost a very tight match, and then the next day he beat me. After one day, life goes on. He’s doing well this year, I’m doing well, I’m just happy.”

Khachanov additionally defined the difficulties of enjoying one among his good associates in Rublev, although stated they have been at all times rivals after they stepped on the singles courtroom. “It’s always tricky to play against each other because on one side we know each other’s games perfectly because we’ve been training together for so many years,” the tenth seed in Madrid stated.