Russian Andrey Rublev, 7th in the world, made a successful comeback to Wimbledon on Monday where, despite a small slump in the second set, he quietly dismissed Australian Max Purcell (64th) 6-3, 7-5, 6- 4. In the next round, the 25-year-old will face his compatriot Aslan Karatsev (50th) or the Frenchman Luca van Assche (75th).
Banned from playing the Major on grass last year because of his nationality, Rublev trailed 5-2 in the second set before fielding five games to close the set and regain the upper hand.
During his last participation, in 2021, he had reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon, the Major which succeeded him the least since he reached the quarters in the other three. Last year, Wimbledon refused the participation of Russian and Belarusian players because of the war in Ukraine. This year, the tournament reconsidered its decision but made all players from these two countries sign a neutrality charter.