Marcos Giron’s Victory Over Andrey Rublev at Halle Open 2024: A Sign of Emerging Grass-Court Dominance

Marcos Giron nearly beat Andrey Rublev in the second round of the Rome Open last month, but he was defeated in a heartbreaking fashion by the new Madrid champion. Giron made sure the same situation didn’t occur on Tuesday.

The American defeated Rublev, 6-4, 7-6 (5), to earn his first Top 10 victory away from hard courts. Rublev was the two-time Halle runner-up. Completing the world No. 6 was a difficult endeavor. Giron lost a break advantage in the second set, and he trailed 6-2 to 6-5 in the tiebreak when Rublev’s forehand mistake put an end to the match.

“He has a right to return to the game. I then believed that I had elevated in the “breaker.” Thus, there was some back and forth. Giron stated, “The margins are so small and you can’t live in the past.” “My level of contribution pleased me, and I believe I have the ability to cause some surface disturbances.”

Giron is the first to acknowledge his lackluster performance on grass. If his three outings this month on the surface are any guide, though, things could be improving. He defeated Andy Murray in straight sets last week in Stuttgart and forced eventual champion Jack Draper to a decisive set.

“To be honest, I think that my performance on the grass court over the past several years has been a little underwhelming. I’ve had some successful quarterfinal victories. However, he feels that his game should be able to deal a lot of harm; all that needs to happen is for it to be done.

Giron, a native of Thousand Oaks, California, first remembers hitting on the surface when he was ten years old, at a neighborhood club, with a friend. Giron has established himself as a regular on the ATP Tour after twenty years. The former NCAA champion makes up for his lack of height with his attention to smaller matters.

Being a little stockier, I believe that having decent footwork has always been necessary for me to be a competitive player. I don’t feel little at all, but when I watch tennis, I think to myself, ‘Whoa, how small I am in comparison to these other guys,'” he says.

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I have to do everything else really well because of this. On both the forehand and backhand, I need to find ways. Movement is very important to me, and it’s probably always been a strength of mine.

Along with fellow countryman J.J. Wolf, Giron calls himself the “Quad Father.” His physicality helps him maneuver through tight spaces and change directions fast from south to north. That’s especially crucial on grass, where rivals are compelled to accept unstable baselines as a necessary component of the game.

The most challenging aspect is that you can’t push off or stop too quickly. With my low center of gravity, I can stop and decelerate quite quickly,” Giron says. However, I believe that you can take your chances and run less than the opposition if you are attacking. Rublev faltered a few times during significant occasions.

Is Giron worried that he may experience the same thing? Hardly, since he is aware of its imminence.

“I’m going to eat sh*t sometime this grass swing. That will undoubtedly occur, and hopefully I’m not harmed. However, I’ve always moved rather successfully, and I’ve gained knowledge from it every year,” he claims. “I’ve discovered what functions well. I spoke with coaches. You converse with other players to learn about their successes and strategies. A tiny morsel here, a tiny morsel there. You will not survive if you do not pick up knowledge, adjust, and continue to build. Tuesday is just a friendly reminder that Giron is here to stay.