MADRID, May 3. /TASS/. Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev advanced to the final of the 2024 ATP Madrid Open after defeating Taylor Fritz of the United States on Friday.

In a match that lasted for one hour and 12 minutes, Russia’s 7th-seed blasted past his 12th-seed US opponent Fritz with straight-set win 6-4; 6-3.

"Mentally I was feeling much better and I was able to perform," the tournament’s official website quoted Rublev as saying after the match. "Putting emotions in the right direction."

"For sure it has helped me to reach the final. Without this, I would not be in the final," he added.

Rublev, who is playing under a neutral status at the ATP tournaments, is now set face in the tournament’s final against the winner of another semifinal between Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jiri Lehecka from the Czech Republic.

Rublev, 26, is ranked 8th in the ATP World Rankings and has won 15 ATP tournament titles. He has also appeared in numerous Grand Slam tournaments, albeit never advancing beyond the quarterfinals. Rublev took home the gold at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in mixed doubles (with teammate Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova) and also won the 2021 Davis Cup as part of the Russian national team.

The 2023 Madrid Open is being played on outdoor clay courts between April 23 and May 5 and offers 7,877,020 euro (over $8.5 million) in prize money.

Russian players’ neutral status at tennis tournaments

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022 to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis federations while also canceling all previously scheduled tennis tournaments in the two countries.

On March 14, 2022, the ITF also confirmed its prohibition of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis teams from the 2022 Davis Cup and 2022 Billie Jean King Cup.

However, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) allowed tennis players from Russia and Belarus to continue participating in WTA and ATP tournaments, but only under a neutral status.