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Hubert Hurkacz won his second career ATP Masters 1000, beating Russian rival Andrey Rublev in a thrilling final at the Shanghai Rolex Masters 2023.
Even in the final against Rublev the serve was a decisive factor for the Polish tennis player. Nobody did better than him, capable of hitting 98 aces throughout the entire tournament. Just an ace allowed him to raise his head and avoid defeat.
Hurkacz: "Incredible final. I'm very excited"
In the press conference, Hurkacz explained: "It was an incredible endgame, the most exciting for me. Last act of a Masters 1000, we both had match points. I was really excited at the end of the battle and after winning the last point On match point I only thought about what I had to do, which was to believe in my shots. Andrey played excellent tennis, so I tried to compete to my full potential. It's the third time I've played this tournament and I've already managed to win the title. I'm very excited."
Thanks to the success achieved in Shanghai, Hurkacz can still hope to secure a pass for the ATP Finals in Turin. The Pole is eleventh in the Race, but is only 335 points behind Holger Rune.
"I knew I had to win the tournament to have a chance. It was a fantastic week. I had fun and I want to continue to improve every day. The fans were fantastic. They were always waiting for us players at the end of a match to ask for a photo. I tried to do my part to be with them and exchange a few words. I will do my best and we will see what happens in the next tournaments," he told.
Among the numerous spectators present in the stands there was also Roger Federer.
"Extraordinary players have won this tournament in the past and in my speech I tried to thank everyone. I forgot to mention Roger, but I want to thank him for coming. I hope he doesn't take it personally! It's fun to play in front of him. I hope he is amused," he said.