On April 25, 2023, Red Bull Bassline, the fast-paced tournament revolutionizing the traditional tennis match, returned for the third edition with world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece and 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem of Austria amongst a strong field of ATP stars taking part.
The tournament coincided with the ATP 1000 Masters Mutua Madrid Open at the iconic Caja Magica clay courts. Andrey Rublev bested Casper Ruud in the thrilling final to secure the tournament victory.
This one-night, knock-out tie-break tournament featured some of the world’s best players competing in a rapid-fire, best-of-three format that lasts only 10 to 16 minutes per match.
The fast-paced format relinquishes the umpire in the high chair, with all the players calling the shots. The format includes four quarterfinals, two semis, and a final, where each match features short, intense battles.
Norway’s Casper Ruud dominated the quarterfinals against Sebastian Korda, scoring himself a position in the semifinals. In the second quarterfinal match, Feliciano Lopez of Spain won against Frances Tiafoe of the USA.
Andrey Rublev launched a formidable attack in the third match, besting Martín Landaluce of Spain. In the final quarterfinal match, 2023 Australian Open Winner Stefanos Tsitsipas faced 2022 US Open Winner Dominic Thiem, with Tsitsipas finding his flow and nabbing the match victory.
The semifinals featured two exciting matches. Casper Ruud took on Feliciano Lopez, opening with a commanding performance, besting Lopez in straight sets, securing his place in the tournament’s final.
In the second semifinal, Andrey Rublev went up against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in a thrilling match that saw Tsitsipas feeling the pressure with heart rate monitors clocking him at 178 bpm as the two players locked horns.
Rublev ultimately closed out the game with a strong and consistent performance, securing his place in the tournament’s final.
In the Red Bull Bassline championship match, Andrey Rublev faced Norway’s Casper Ruud in an exciting showdown.
Rublev, ranked 6th in the ATP, opened the game with a powerful serve that quickly put points on the board. However, Ruud, ranked 4th in the ATP, countered and evened out the score, resulting in a neck-and-neck battle.
Rublev displayed strong and consistent plays throughout the match, allowing him to widen the gap and take the first set with a score of 7-3. Rublev confidently took the lead in the second set, but a few costly mistakes allowed Ruud to narrow the gap.
Despite Ruud’s efforts, Rublev proved unstoppable and closed out the set with a score of 7-3, ultimately securing the victory for Red Bull Bassline 2023. The match served as a fitting end to the tournament, showcasing both players’ immense talent and skill.
Andrey Rublev revealed “We had fun. There were tight matches for the first two. I won in three sets. So you feel a bit of tension and a bit nervous and want to win.
You start to feel the competition, you know? And that’s I guess what we’re looking for. You feel this emotion you won’t feel during practice, and here it’s more real. You face the tension, and that’s a nice feeling.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the tournament’s innovative format creator, said “I absolutely enjoyed the experience. It was fun getting to play this format once again.
Sharing this with the boys is always something that’s going to be memorable, and the fact that we were able to host this in Madrid makes it very special for all of us, especially for me. I had fun, and that’s the most important thing.”