Lajovic Stuns Rublev For Banja Luka Title
Dusan Lajovic capped a career week with a stunning win over 2nd-seeded Andrey Rublev 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to collect his second career title.
“Honestly it was probably the toughest match I have had in the past six months. I felt drained,” Lajovic told the ATP. “From 5-1 in the third I could not feel my legs and felt a bit dizzy. I knew he was going to fight but somehow I managed to pull it out in the last game. I wasn’t even thinking in the last game. I was just playing automatically and I tried to take the ball early on the forehand. I am thrilled and overwhelmed that I did it this week, that I won an ATP title.
“The last time I was in a final was four years ago and I have been through a lot since then, lots of ups and downs. This was probably the most unexpected thing for me for this week. But on the other side I still believed in myself, even though I did not have the best last year. This victory means a lot.”
Rublev came into the match having won his last eight matches including the biggest title of his career in Monte Carlo last weekend.
But things didn’t go as planned today as Lajovic scored another huge win after taking out Novak Djokovic in the quarters.
The 32-year-old Lajovic wobbled toward the end. He broke twice to go up 5-1 in the decider but Rublev would get won back and had earlier chances for another.
Lajovic is a perfect 2-0 in tour-level head-to-head clashes with Rublev. It’s his first title since 2019 Umag during which he also beat Rublev.
“The last time I was in a final was four years ago and I have been through a lot since then, lots of ups and downs,” Lajovic added. “This was probably the most unexpected thing for me for this week. But on the other side I still believed in myself, even though I did not have the best last year. This victory means a lot.”
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