Rublev Debuts with Victory in Los Cabos, Eliminating Mexican Alex Hernández
Andrey Rublev’s debut at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo was successful. The Russian tennis player, world number 10 and the tournament’s top seed following Lorenzo Musetti’s withdrawal, defeated Mexican Alejandro Hernández 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 14 minutes in the round of 16 of the ATP 250 Baja California Sur.
Rublev, who is participating in the Los Cabos tournament for the first time, put his only previous defeat in Mexico—a first-round loss at Acapulco 2018—behind him and advanced to the quarterfinals with authority, despite some moments of lack of concentration.
The Moscow native put in a solid performance, backed by 11 aces and a 92% effectiveness on his first serve, key to holding off the Mexican’s attempts to make history. However, the Russian will have to fine-tune his skills in the next round, as he committed 17 unforced errors, allowing Hernández to take a 3-2 lead in the first set.
Hernández bids farewell, but leaves his mark
Despite the loss, Alejandro Hernández, currently ranked No. 493, had a remarkable run. His victory on Monday against Taro Daniel allowed him, along with Luis Carlos Álvarez, to become the first Mexicans to reach the round of 16 in the nine editions of the Los Cabos Open.
In addition, Hernández becomes the only Mexican with two wins in the tournament, having also reached the second round in 2022, when he fell to Félix Auger-Aliassime in pursuit of a spot in the quarterfinals.
For his performance this week, Hernández earned 25 ATP ranking points and a prize of $15,615.
Rublev to Face Emilio Nava
In the next round, Rublev will face American Emilio Nava, who has Mexican roots through his parents, Eduardo Nava and Xóchitl Escobedo, both former Olympians for Mexico in Seoul 1988. Nava advanced after a hard-fought three-set comeback against sixth-seeded Bu Yunchaokete of China in a marathon match lasting three hours and two minutes.
With this advance, Rublev secures at least 50 ATP points and a prize of $26,895, while remaining the leading contender for the title at the Cabo Sports Complex.
Other Mexican Results
The day also included the participation of Luis Carlos Álvarez, who was eliminated in the round of 16 by American Aleksandar Kovacevic (7-5, 6-4). This concludes the Mexican singles draw.
In doubles, however, the Mexican hope remains. Manuel Sánchez, partnering with Australian Bernard Tomic, advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Hans Hach and Colombian Cristian Rodríguez by walkover. Santiago González and American Austin Krajicek defeated James Cerretani and Theodore Winegar 6-2, securing their spot in the next round as well.