World No. 14 Andrey Rublev carried momentum from Bastad to debut at the Millennium Estoril Open with a statement win over world No. 163 Timofey Skatov, securing his spot at the ATP 250 quarterfinals on Thursday.
Last Sunday, Andrey Rublev delivered an emphatic performance to beat Italian player Luciano Darderi in the Nordea Open final, lifting his first title this season, his second in Bastad, and the 18th of his career.
On Thrusday, he returned to action, making his first appearance in Estoril, where he outlasted lucky loser Timofey Skatov with a straightforward 6-1, 6-1 win in just 59 minutes, advancing to the last eight.
“I am happy to be here. It is my first time,” the top seed commented in his on-court interview. “The conditions are not easy to play in, but I feel great that I was able to win in straight sets, to be able to spend the least time on court and be as fresh as possible for tomorrow.”
On a five-match winning streak, the former world No. 5, who feels comfortable playing on the clay surface, will next face off against Luca Van Assche for a spot in the semifinals.
The world No. 78 ousted eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in two hours and 11 minutes to reach the last eight on Portuguese soil.
The 28-year-old leads the Frenchman 1-0 in their series, having defeated the latter in Washington in 2024; however, they have never played one another on clay before.
Earlier, home hope Jaime Faria defeated world No. 180 Gonzalo Bueno in straight sets.
Meanwhile, Darderi took out qualifier Pedro Martinez 6-0, 6-1 in 62 minutes to set up a clash with the Portuguese player.
The Lisbon native leads the Italian 1-0 in their series; in their lone encounter to date, the 22-year-old beat the world No. 21 in straight sets at the 2025 Chile Open, a tournament also contested on clay.
"I arrived here with a lot of confidence," Darderi outlined after his Round of 16 match. "It was not the best day for Pedro, but I thought I played an almost perfect match."