Andrey Rublev began his week in Hamburg having made just one ATP Tour quarter-final this season. And on Saturday, the 2017-18 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier was on the brink of elimination when he trailed Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 2-4.

But the Russian battled back to defeat Carreno Busta 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, advancing to the Hamburg European Open final.

It was the second incredible comeback of the day in Hamburg, as Nikoloz Basilashvili, Rublev’s opponent in the championship match, saved two match points en route to ousting reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev. Rublev did not need to save a match point, but he won 11 of the match’s final 13 games to triumph after one hour and 52 minutes.

This will be Rublev’s first ATP Tour final since 2018 Doha, which came in the first week of last season. The Russian won his maiden tour-level trophy two years ago in Umag as a lucky loser.

Rublev, who climbed as high as No. 31 in the ATP Rankings last February, has struggled with injuries over the past year and a half. He missed three months last season due to a lower back stress fracture, and he was out for six weeks this year due to a wrist injury.

It seemed Carreno Busta, who was pursuing his first final since triumphing in Estoril two years ago, was too solid from the baseline for the powerful Rublev. But the 21-year-old began to find his range, frustrating the Spaniard. And once the World No. 78 got into a rhythm, he rode his momentum to the finish line.

Rublev crushed an inside-out forehand winner to finish the match, turning around to his team and pumping his fist in celebration. The Russian struck 11 aces and broke Carreno Busta’s serve five times.

Basilashvili won his only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head match against Rublev, emerging victorious in straight sets in Doha earlier this year. Rublev will try to lift his first ATP 500 trophy when he battles the defending champion.

Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev was able to battle from the brink of defeat in his quarter-final on Friday against Filip Krajinovic. But the German was on the opposite end of a Harry Houdini act on Saturday against defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili.

The Georgian saved two match points at 3-5 in the third set en route to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5) victory against the second seed. Basilashvili, who captured his first ATP Tour title in Hamburg last year as a qualifier ranked World No. 81, is now just one victory from retaining his trophy at the ATP 500 tournament.

“I don’t think I was calm. I was really emotional inside. Maybe I didn’t show that much,” Basilashvili said. “I was serving really, really bad in the third set, so that got me very emotional and I got very tight also in the third set. But in general, how I managed to come back from 2/5 in the tie-break was something that I give credit to myself. It doesn’t happen with my tennis that often, so I’m really happy. “

He needed every sliver of mental fortitude he could find in what was a roller coaster battle against the World No. 5. Basilashvili led by a break early in both the second and third sets, but relinquished those leads on both occasions as Zverev locked down defensively, allowing the World No. 16 to make more unforced errors.

Just as it appeared Zverev would complete his comeback when he had a 5-3 lead in the third set, Basilashvili found some of his best tennis. He saved two match points — first with an inside-out forehand winner and then when he sprinted to the net to swat away a forehand volley — on his own serve before breaking back, ultimately leading to a final-set tie-break.

Despite trailing 2/5 in the tie-break, Basilashvili once again rose to the occasion, going for his shots and landing. On his first match point, the Georgian fired an inside-in forehand that forced Zverev to hit a forehand slice into the net, completing his triumph after three hours and eight minutes.

“In the tie-break, I was really concentrated on the ball and just how to play tennis, how just to play the game,” Basilashvili said. “But inside I think Sascha was also very tight and emotional, and me also because it is one or two points that decide the match.”

Throughout nearly the entire match, the rallies were on Basilashvili’s racquet, as the Georgian took his typical big cuts at the ball to push Zverev back. That aggression paid dividends as he took the lead. But when he broke early in the second and third sets, unforced errors trickled into his game, allowing Zverev to buckle down defensively and put more pressure on the Georgian.

Even after the disappointment of losing the second set, Basilashvili remained calm and broke for a 3-1 lead in the decider after crushing a forehand winner. But Zverev raised his level to break back with a laser-like backhand pass down the line. He broke in Basilashvili’s next service game, too, that time hitting a backhand winner down the line on a second-serve return.

But the German was unable to complete the victory to advance to his first Hamburg final. Instead, Basilashvili will face Russian Andrey Rublev in the championship match. He owns a 1-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against Rublev, defeating the 21-year-old this year in Doha in straight sets.

“My mind was calm pretty much,” Zverev said. “I came back yesterday so I knew I could do it again today, and I was close to it… I guess it was a nice atmosphere and it was good for the crowd, but now he is in the final and I lost. So it’s not the nicest feeling in the world.”

Did You Know?
Basilashvili saved 16 of the 20 break points he faced, while converting four of the eight opportunities he had to break Zverev’s serve.

Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas reached his first ATP Tour semi-final of the season last week in Båstad. And this week, he has played even better, advancing to the final of the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad on Saturday with a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory against 2014 champion Pablo Andujar.

Ramos-Vinolas has won all eight of his sets this week, defeating three of the ATP 250 tournament’s seeds. Entering the semi-finals, the lefty had only emerged victorious in one of seven previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Andujar, but Ramos-Vinolas claimed 43 per cent of his first-serve return points en route to victory in one hour and 54 minutes.

The 31-year-old is into his first tour-level final since Quito last year. Ramos-Vinolas has made six championship matches, with his lone ATP Tour title coming at Båstad in 2016.

The former World No. 17 was broken first in the match, giving Andujar a 5-3 lead after Ramos-Vinolas couldn’t stave off a sixth break point of the game. But he broke back immediately, and stormed to a 4/0 lead in the first-set tie-break, never looking back from there. There was a rain delay with two points remaining in the match, but Ramos-Vinolas won two points upon the resumption to go through.

Ramos-Vinolas will face Portugual’s Joao Sousa or German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in the final. Sousa and Stebe were knotted at 1-1 in the opening set, with Sousa facing two break points at 15/40, when rain suspended play.

Earlier in the day, Stebe defeated Italian Thomas Fabbiano in the final quarter-final. Prior to this week, Stebe had not won a tour-level match since September 2017 in Davis Cup against Sousa.

Carlos Moya works closely with Rafael Nadal these days as one of his coaches, hoping to guide the World No. 2 to more big titles. But at the 2003 Hamburg European Open, the pair were on opposite sides of the net for their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.

A 16-year-old Nadal stunned then-World No. 4 Moya 7-5, 6-4 in their second-round clash. Nadal went on to lead their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 6-2, but their Hamburg clash set the stage for what would become one of the greatest careers in ATP Tour history.

“At that time, I was considered the favourite because I was Top 5 in the [ATP Rankings],” recalled Moya in a video posted by Nadal’s academy in Mallorca. “But he was already someone to look out for and we got a glimpse of what his game would become later.”

Moya had established himself as one of the greatest clay-court players of his generation, winning the 1998 Roland Garros title and reaching No. 1 in the ATP Rankings the following year. Meanwhile. Nadal was competing in only his fifth ATP main draw. But despite his inexperience, the teenager already scored a win the previous month over then-reigning Roland Garros champion Alberta Costa at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Because many signified the match as a potential changing of the guard in Spanish tennis, Moya felt the attention left both men unable to play their best. An ominous start when they walked on court did little to calm Moya’s nerves.

“In those times, they put the player’s name on the bench. He entered first and went to sit on my bench. He obviously didn’t notice, so I said ‘Rafa, this is my place. You have to go to yours,’” laughed Moya. “It wasn’t the only thing he took from me that day!”

But even as a teenager, Nadal’s humble nature was fully intact. After he scored his first Top 5 win, he apologised to Moya at the net.

“When he beat me, he was very shy. He said, ‘I’m sorry I won’ and I said, ‘No worries’” said Moya. “I understood that it was the first of many times he would win and I knew he was going to be a great player. He’s fulfilled all that he promised at the time.”

From Rafael Nadal to Novak Djokovic, the world’s top players have been busy on and off the court. Check out our roundup of the best social media posts from the past week that show what your favourite players have been up to!

Nadal is hitting the ground running for his next event at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal. The Spaniard posted several videos of his training sessions at his academy in Mallorca.

RAFA ? NADAL ?

We are so happy to have you back at the #RafaNadalAcademyByMovistar ? @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/Aswa9zFg7w

— Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (@rnadalacademy) July 24, 2019

Djokovic is taking a more relaxed approach to his post-Wimbledon time. The World No. 1 shared a photo of his vacation in Croatia with his wife, Jelena.

?? @jelenadjokovic pic.twitter.com/tIxU3dGbhN

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) July 22, 2019

Stan Wawrinka is also enjoying his holiday by lounging on a truly epic pool float.

Summer season begins properly when the watermelon comes out ? ?☀️ #summer #summervibes #watermelon #stanthewatermelonman #enjoy #fun pic.twitter.com/g9BM9nbQCY

— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) July 21, 2019

Kevin Anderson retweeted the major update that he and his wife, Kelsey, are expecting their first child in October.

Excited to share our happy news ???? pic.twitter.com/xnGrYdrhUr

— Kelsey Anderson (@KelseyOAnderson) July 24, 2019

Meanwhile, Dominic Thiem was pleased to share that he earned his 250th ATP Tour win this week at the Hamburg European Open.

250 tour wins ??? https://t.co/bXRJwK0eAN

— Dominic Thiem (@ThiemDomi) July 23, 2019

Borna Coric reduced plenty of his fans to squeals with this adorable photo of his dog.

Someone took a first swim in the sea today ? pic.twitter.com/ey8RtZAdSJ

— borna coric (@borna_coric) July 21, 2019

Roberto Bautista Agut got his adrenaline fix on and off the court this week at the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad.

¡Adrenalinaaaaaa!

Excursion to Glacier 3000 ??

https://t.co/yulB3pv8jz pic.twitter.com/T1QSrP4SKe

— Roberto BautistaAgut (@BautistaAgut) July 24, 2019

Lastly, Benoit Paire proved he’s someone you want to ride with his as he shared his own version of “Carpool Karaoke”.

Quoi de neuf? ? pic.twitter.com/z2qqAfY51Z

— paire benoit (@benoitpaire) July 25, 2019

The BB&T Atlanta Open did not move very far — shifting only across the street to a different plot of land — but the ATP 250 tournament has succeeded at its new location at Atlantic Station in Midtown Atlanta.

“It’s nice. 2016 was definitely my favourite Stadium Court, but this one’s really cool. I think it’s probably more fan friendly just because it’s so hot. The indoor seating, the covered shaded area I think is a lot better for the fans. We had a pretty good crowd out there today and I think the stadium has a lot to do with that,” said semi-finalist Reilly Opelka. “From that standpoint, I’d rather have more people there than not. But I don’t know, something about that court in 2016, I thought that was the coolest court I’ve ever played on.”

Tournament Director Eddie Gonalez is happy with the improvements and how players and fans alike have reacted to them. Players have been around the grounds throughout the week for autograph signings, Q&As with Wayne Bryan and much more. On Monday, Nick Kyrgios even played basketball with a Harlem Globetrotter and some fans out on the site.

“We’ve gone from two acres to five, we have more shade, more air conditioning and more fan activation areas. We want to be known as being player friendly, fan friendly and sponsor friendly, and we feel like we’ve accomplished this in year one,” Gonzalez said. “It’ll be even better next year because we’re going to learn a lot this year, but we’re off to a great start.”

Five-time champion John Isner, who triumphed last week in Newport, lost in his opening match against Opelka. But the American was happy with how the upgraded site looked.

“The stadium court looks really cool,” Isner said. “It’s not in a completely different location, so I think it’s a good thing, switching it up. Where we played last year wasn’t the same as when it first moved to Atlantic Station and I think they’ve made some improvements to the stadium and it looks very good.”