Nitto ATP finals 2022 result: The 2020 champion Daniil Medvedev loses an epic contest against his compatriot Andrey Rublev in a tight Red Group opener

It is Andrey Rublev who eventually prevails in the battle of the Red Group Russians. He takes the tie-break decider by a 9-7 scoreline on his fifth match point to down the 2020 champion in two hours and 31 minutes. He did it in real style too, ending a lengthy rally with a sizzling drive volley winner.

Déjà vu. Rublev has three match points at 6-3 but cannot get the job done! Medvedev charges into the net following a pulsating rally at 6-5 to smash it home and square the breaker.

Rublev is on fire. That forehand is doing so much damage at a really crucial moment in the match. Medvedev will hang in and his experience in Set 1 will tell him there’s no need to panic just yet.

Medvedev stands tall under immense pressure. The former champion crunches a brilliant wrong-footing forehand at 30-30 and then survives a barrage of excellent strikes from Rublev to wriggles into the breaker from deuce.

Tie-break anyone? It’s looking likely as Rublev guarantees his place in it, unless he can summon something special on the return next…

Did Rublev actually try there? Medvedev slams down a succession of aces and we are all square once again.

How heavy does that scoreboard pressure actually weigh on the mind of the player serving to stay in it? It’s obviously a tricky situation to handle and one Medvedev must navigate from here as Rublev again holds with aplomb.

Rublev is not making any inroads on the Medvedev serve at the moment. It’s another quick-fire love hold for the former World No.1, who is now looking more locked in than he has for most of this match.

Solid as a rock. Rublev dominates the rallies with more swashbuckling, heavy-hitting tennis and maintains that scoreboard advantage. The next 10 minutes or so could well prove decisive.

Too easy. Medvedev rattles through anther love hold. It feels like we could be full steam ahead to a tie-break decider here, but perhaps some nerves will jangle as we approach the business end instead.

No danger there either. Rublev rounds off a game to 15 with an eye-catching ace. This match could still go either way, but it has felt like Rublev could and should have earned a bit more for his efforts so far.

A succession of hefty first serves make life easy for Daniil as he rapidly levels matters.

Andrey keeps his nose in front with another dominant hold. Medvedev hasn’t done enough on the return game. He’s often stood too far back when Rublev deploys a slow, angled serve and he’s not really managed to get a regular read on his opponent’s intentions for the majority of this contest.

It’s a real, old slog but Medvedev dodges the danger by swerving a break point and dragging himself through from deuce once more.

Rublev will be disappointed. Once again he pulled the trigger too hard when very much in control of the rally at key moments.

Rublev’s control over his power will be the key to this match. If he can manage that and his nerve in the difficult moments, it looks like it’s on his racquet.

He overcooks the forehand on a couple of points here but is in charge for the rest of the points as he seizes the scoreboard advantage at the start of the deciding set.

At the umpteenth time in this match, Rublev finally clinches a set point. In this game it’s the third time of asking and he gets a very large donation as Medvedev double faults his way out of contention.

All square and into a decider we go!

One step closer to parity…

Rublev shows no nerves with a sizzling crosscourt forehand the pick of his points in another very tidy hold.

That’s a marvellous recovery. A double fault leaves Med floundering at 0-30 but an ace, a wrong-footing forehand and more clutch serving see him through unscathed.

Too good. A sublime drive volley, a wrong-footing forehand and some big serves ensure Rublev remains on course to level the match.

Rublev unloads a ferocious forehand to press at 30-30 but Medvedev responds with some big serving to stay in sight.