Second seed Andrey Rublev overcame a bloody hand injury following an emotional outburst on court. He defeated France’s Hugo Gaston 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Hangzhou Open on September 28, 2026. The three-hour match secured the Russian a spot in the semifinals against Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet.
First-Set Heartbreak and On-Court Outburst
The quarterfinal opened with a tightly contested first set. Neither player conceded a break point through the initial 12 games. In the tiebreak, Rublev built a commanding 6-1 lead and held five set points. However, Gaston launched an explosive comeback, winning seven consecutive points to take the opening set 8-6.
Rublev responded strongly early in the second set. He broke Gaston twice to gain a 4-0 lead and later served for the set at 5-2. Gaston fought back once again, breaking the Russian twice and saving two set points to level the set at 5-5.
Overwhelmed by frustration as his lead slipped away, Rublev struck the wall signs near his towel box. The impact scraped his fingers and caused him to bleed on court. This required immediate medical attention from the physical therapists before play could resume.
Medical Timeout Arguments and Final Set Surge
The drama continued during the second-set tiebreak. Tied at 2-2, the players engaged in a demanding 38-shot rally that Rublev won to secure a mini-break. Immediately following the point, Gaston requested a medical timeout to treat a blister on his foot.
While Gaston received treatment, Rublev approached the physio to request additional plasters for his bleeding fingers. The dual treatment agitated Gaston. He voiced his dissatisfaction to the chair umpire, stating, "It’s my medical, but he’s not taking care of me."
Despite the interruption, Rublev maintained control after play restarted. He took the tiebreak 7-4. Carrying that momentum into the deciding set, the Russian broke Gaston early and raced to a 5-0 lead before closing out the set 6-1.
Semifinal Matchup and Tournament Standings
With the win, Rublev improved his head-to-head record against Gaston to 2-0. He also surpassed his previous tournament record in Hangzhou, where he reached the second round in 2025. He has earned $54,205 in prize money so far at the event.
Rublev will face Kyrian Jacquet in the semifinals after the Frenchman defeated Fabian Marozsan 7-6(12), 6-4. This match marks the first professional meeting between Rublev and Jacquet on the ATP Tour.
