Aleksandar Kovacevic delivered another stunning performance against World No. 10 Andrey Rublev on Friday night, advancing to the final of the Mifel Tennis Open in Los Cabos. The 26-year-old American overcame a slow start to secure a hard-fought 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 semifinal win after two hours and 29 minutes on the Mexican hard courts.
This marked Kovacevic’s second victory over Rublev this year, replicating his breakthrough win in Montpellier in February, where he reached his first ATP Tour final. With a 2-0 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, Kovacevic now becomes the fourth American finalist in Los Cabos history. The win lifts him 10 spots to No. 66 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, with a potential rise to No. 56 if he secures his maiden ATP title.
Rublev was aiming to notch his 250th career hard-court win. After a tense hold for 4-3 in the third set, it seemed momentum was shifting in his favor. But Kovacevic responded with a late surge, winning the final three games to clinch the match as per ATP
“I can’t lie but say that once you get a win over a player one time, you believe you can do it again,” said Kovacevic. “I was not feeling so great to start, but then I really found my energy in the second and third sets. I had a bit of luck going my way, but I’m proud of the way I competed.