Andrey Rublev stuns Sebastian Baez with late twist in thrilling win

Andrey Rublev produced a late surge to beat Sebastian Baez in a rollercoaster quarterfinal at the 2026 Swiss Open on Tuesday night.

What happened?

Rublev, the fifth seed, dropped the first set but stormed back to claim a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) victory over Baez, the eighth seed, in front of a packed Basel crowd. The Russian saved three break points at 5-5 in the decider before breaking Baez’s serve to force a tiebreak. There, he sealed the win with a 110mph ace on his second championship point.

Why it matters for Andrey Rublev

The win lifts Rublev to his third semifinal of the season and keeps his hard-court swing on track after a slow start in 2026. It also hands Baez his third defeat in their last four meetings, extending Rublev’s head-to-head edge to 4-1. The Swiss Open’s fast indoor courts played to Rublev’s strengths, where his heavy topspin forehand and serve dictate rallies.

What comes next?

Rublev will face either Stan Wawrinka or Ugo Humbert in the semifinals on Thursday, a matchup that could set up a clash with top seed Jannik Sinner. A deep run in Gstaad would boost Rublev’s bid to return to the ATP Finals after missing out in 2025. The Russian has yet to drop a set in Basel so far, and his confidence is soaring after back-to-back three-set wins.

How Rublev turned it around

Down a set and a break at 1-3 in the second, Rublev upped his aggression, stepping inside the baseline to punish Baez’s second serve. He broke back immediately and reeled off five straight games to take the set. In the decider, his serve stood up when it mattered most, with 12 aces and just two double faults in the final two sets.