CARLOS ALCARAZ drew first blood at the ATP Finals in Turin – as Andrey Rublev ALSO drew blood.
The Wimbledon champion lost his opening match in three sets to Alexander Zverev on Monday in his debut appearance in the season-ending event.
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Andrey Rublev smashed his knee with his racket[/caption]
GettyThe Russian can no longer make the semi-finals of the ATP Finals[/caption]
But then the Spaniard, 20, enjoyed his first win of the tournament with a 7-5 6-2 success over the stroppy Russian.
Moscow-born Rublev, 26, was so angry and frustrated when he was broken in the first game of the second set that he smacked his racket on the court.
He then whacked his equipment on his left leg SIX TIMES and did so with such venom that he cut himself above the knee and started to BLEED.
The world No.5 had lost to compatriot Daniil Medvedev in his opener at the start of this week and now cannot progress to the semi-finals.
Rublev, famous for once breaking a bone in his finger after punching a hotel door, downplayed the incident, saying: “My knee is okay. Nothing. Nothing happened.
“It’s not easy because you always want to finish in a good way.
“Sometimes you get disappointed when it’s not happening.
“In my last match, I will try to do something better than the previous two matches, and that’s it. Try at least to finish in a good way.”
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Rublev faces Zverev in his final match of the year in Turin, Italy.
Meanwhile, world No.2 Alcaraz said: “It’s an improvement, a totally different match and level from me.
“That is the level I have to play if I want to give myself a chance. I did very well. I am happy.”