Andrey Rublev paused his Barcelona Open semi-final against Hamad Medjedovic for medical treatment after cutting his left hand finger and drawing blood. The Russian player showed resilience, rallying from a set down to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. He advances to face Arthur Fils in the final.
Rublev was serving at 0-1, 30-30 in the first set when the injury occurred on Pista Rafa Nadal Court. Medical staff rushed on to treat the bleeding cut on his left hand finger, stemming the flow before play resumed. The interruption did not break his focus amid the lively crowd at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona. Rublev dropped the opening set but turned the match around, taking the next two sets convincingly. 'I was just trying to not let the emotions overtake me,' he said afterward. 'I was down, but then I said “I have a chance.” In the end, I was able to get my chance.' This marks Rublev's 29th career final and ends a streak of four prior semi-final losses. He has 115 wins at ATP 500 level since 2009, the fourth-most in that period. His last title came at the Qatar Open in February 2025 against Jack Draper. In the other semi-final, Arthur Fils beat Rafael Jodar 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. During an on-court interview, Rublev remained understated about the final: 'If it happens, it happens. If not, we keep working.'
