World No. 15 Andrey Rublev shared his expectations ahead of the third round at Roland Garros against Arthur Fils. Their head-to-head record stands at 1-1.
– You played Fils in Monte Carlo and lost. How will you use that experience with your coaching team, including Marat Safin? What will your preparation look like?
– I don`t know yet. I know he`s having a great season and playing equally with top players; he had an excellent match against Alcaraz. I feel better than I did in Monte Carlo, and I`m playing better than I was in Monte Carlo. I haven`t played against French players on the main courts here before – we`ll see how it goes the first time.
– You had an arrangement with Marat for the clay court season. Are there any plans for what happens next?
– I want to continue. At the same time, it`s clear that he won`t be a full-time coach because he doesn`t want that. I know he likes to live by his own schedule, and coaching work implies that your schedule revolves around tournaments and training. He values his freedom: if he can come for five days to train – that`s great, but then he needs another five days to himself.
