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Russian Andrey Rublev threw a mega dummy-spit during his third-round Australian Open loss to former US Open champion Marin Cilic.
Rublev, who entered the match as a hot favourite, failed to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open for a third year in succession, losing to the Croatian veteran 5-7 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 3-6 at Margaret Court Arena.
It was a vintage performance from Cilic – a 2018 Australian Open finalist – who was dominant on serve, tallying 24 aces and winning 85 per cent (52/61) of points on first serve.
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It was Cilic who had the momentum from the beginning, breaking Rublev early in the first before Rublev’s emotions boiled out of control.
‘Magnificent’ Cilic pulls off mighty AO upset
After conceding the early break to Cilic, world No.6 Rublev was hoping to take the momentum back when he answered with a breakpoint of his own midway through the opening set.
But he ultimately lost the first set when Cilic again broke serve.
The 24-year-old unloaded on his coaches’ box, shouting at his team and pointing at them aggressively.
The second set began and it wasn’t long before he’d lost his cool again, bashing his racquet on his left knee and slamming the tennis ball into a wall.
“Andrey Rublev is rattled!” said former Australian tennis player Josh Eagle on Nine’s Wide World of Sports broadcast.
“Some of these reactions … He is not a happy camper.”
Stream every match, every court of the Australian Open live and free on 9Now.
Cilic will face Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round of the Melbourne Park major.
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