Andrey Rublev stayed calm, and out-showed a showman to escape Alexander Bublik at Wimbledon

WATCH: Rublev leaves Bublik in disbelief after incredible dive stab winner | Wimbledon

For three hours and 15 minutes, Alexander Bublik played the ringmaster of Centre Court, and Andrey Rublev was the tiger raging in his cage.

Bublik had fired 39 aces and hit 67 winners. He had flipped in an underhand serve and let a 135-m.p.h. second serve fly when he was down match point. After losing the first two sets, he had stolen the third from under Rublev’s nose, 8-6 in a tiebreaker. In the fourth, he had saved two match points and, down 3-5 in another tiebreaker, had stolen that set as well. Bublik had charmed the audience with his shoulder-shrugging, devil-may-care demeanor and his seat-of-the-pants shotmaking. All of which had left Rublev seething on the other side of the court as he tried to figure out what trick Bublik would play next.

In the fifth set, Rublev broke Bublik for the first time in two hours, and served for the match at 5-4. Rublev had held in every one of his 36 service games, but Bublik had one last circus shot in him. Down 30-15 at 5-4, he sprinted to his left, let a backhand go down the line, and let out a long, loud grunt when it looked as if his shot was going to rocket past Rublev. At least one Bublik supporter in Centre Court stood up and raised a fist in celebration.

A second later, he was sitting down again, and the Rublev fans around him were on their feet instead. With a long stretch of his right arm, and a last-second grip change, Rublev had suddenly stolen the show back. While Bublik was admiring his shot, Rublev stuck his racquet out and sliced the ball back over the net. Rublev ended up on the grass, and left Bublik standing stock still with a grin of disbelief on his face. Five seconds later, Rublev finished the match with an ace.

“I don’t know how I make it,” Rublev said, calling it “probably the luckiest shot ever.”

“I didn’t even see the ball. I didn’t even see how I hit it. I didn’t even see how it went. I realize it after when the people start to scream and I see the face of \[Bublik\], then I realize that I make it somehow.”

Lucky or not, Rublev couldn’t deny how it felt to out-show a showman.

“Amazing feeling,” he said. “Obviously I don’t know if I will ever feel this feeling [again]. At this score, final set, being on Centre Court at Wimbledon in front of all the crowd at this tight score in the end of the match, to make this shot, I don’t know how many times in a life you will have those moments.

“This moment, for sure, one of the highlight of my life.”

Rublev has endured his share of tough defeats, especially at the majors. At Roland Garros last month, he lost to Lorenzo Sonego after being two sets up. Despite being a perennial Top 10 player, he has never been past the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam, either. The last time he was in one, at the Australian Open this year, he lost badly to Novak Djokovic, the man he may face in the quarters again on Tuesday.

But those are thoughts for tomorrow. At this time a year ago, Rublev was watching Wimbledon from afar, having been banned along with his fellow Russians. Today, this famously emotional and volatile player showed the patience and mental stamina that haven’t always been his strengths. Those traits are doubly important in a match against a big server on a grass court, when you may only have one opportunity in an hour of play.

“He was playing unbelievable. The way he served, the way he break your rhythm,” Rublev said. “I was saying to myself, OK, first set I break him, second set I had break points, third and fourth set. At least keep playing the same way. At least you should have at least one chance.”

“‘Don’t start to explode before the match is over,’” was his advice to himself.

Rublev kept his cool, and let Centre Court explode around him in the end.