Luca van Assche Estoril Open Press Conference after Quarter-Final win over Andrey Rublev

Luca Van Assche beat top seed and World No. 14 Andrey Rublev with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory for the biggest win of his career.

Rublev arrived in Portugal on a five-match winning streak after lifting the title in Bastad on Sunday, but Van Assche matched — and eventually surpassed — his opponent’s firepower to complete a remarkable two-hour 15-minute comeback.

The 22-year-old Frenchman, who is into his first ATP Tour semi-final after falling in his previous three tour-level quarter-finals, will next face countryman Hugo Gaston at the clay-court ATP 250 event.

Rublev saved all five break points he faced in the opening set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, but could not hold off Van Assche's relentless surge after the opener. The Frenchman raised his level as the match wore on, repeatedly coming out on top in extended forehand-to-forehand exchanges to level their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.

After the match, a delighted Van Assche spoke to the media.

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