Hungarian Rhapsody on Center Court

Fucsovics becomes first to reach the last 8 at Wimbledon since 1948

Hungarian Rhapsody on Center Court
©wimbledon.com

LONDON: Fucsovics, 29, won the biggest match of his career against Russian Andrev Rublev, beating him 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 in two hours and 41 minutes to advance to the Wimbledon quarter-finals. 

The unseeded righty is the first Hungarian to reach The Championships' last eight since Jozsef Asboth in 1948.

"I had a very good feeling on the court from the start," Fucsovics said. "I was doing a good job. I was moving very well. I hit the ball extremely well. I'd hit a lot of winners, so I was very confident."

But that is not all the history Fucsovics made. He is in the first quarter-final of his 17th major main draw, and the World No. 48 is the first man from his country to make the last eight at a Slam since Balazs Taroczy at Roland Garros in 1981.

It's poetic justice that the victory came against a player who has seemingly tortured him nonstop for the past nine months. Rublev won four consecutive matches against Fucsovics, beginning at Roland Garros last year. The majority of those matches were closer than the score indicated, but the Russian won nine consecutive sets in their rivalry.

"I wasn't thinking about previous games. This one was a unique match "Fucsovics explained. "We had fun playing on the grass. I really like the look of the surface. My game appears to be a good fit for the surface. I believe Andrey's game isn't the best on grass, so I was only concerned with the next few points. I decided to take a chance. I didn't give up hope. That was the turning point."


Fuscovics next faces World No.1 Novak Djokovic