WATCH: Alexander Bublik wins crazy point in Halle final

Ewan West
Alexander Bublik gestures to the crowd
Alexander Bublik gestures

Alexander Bublik won an incredible point against Andrey Rublev in the opening set of the Terra Wortmann Open final in Halle.

The remarkable 12-shot rally came on the first point in the second game of the match, after Bublik had held serve.

After returning Rublev’s serve, Bublik was pushed deep behind the baseline by a strong backhand down-the-line from the Russian. The Kazakh hit a slice forehand to defend but was forced into the opposite corner by a punishing inside-out forehand from Rublev.

Bublik again managed to keep the point alive, this time with a defensive backhand slice from a deep and wide position. Rublev delivered another heavy blow by sending a forehand cross-court to force Bublik to chase into his forehand corner again.

The world No 48 then hit a stunning flat forehand down-the-line on the run, from well behind the baseline. This forced a weaker backhand in response from Rublev, with Bublik capitalising with a brilliant backhand drop shot, before finishing with a reflex volley winner.

Victory at the ATP 500 tournament would see Bublik claim the biggest title of his career, with his only previous title coming in Montpellier last year. He has been a runner-up at six other tour events – all of which were at ATP 250 level.

 

In the semi-finals of the grass court tournament, Bublik earned an impressive 6-3, 7-5 triumph over Alexander Zverev. The 26-year-old did not lose his serve during the match and won a superb 94% of points behind his first serve.

Bublik, who now holds a 3-1 record against Zverev, was in determined mood ahead of the final following his win against the German.

“The job is not finished, there is one last match. I am happy but I try to stay focused. I tried to play my game and I am really happy with the win today,” said the 26-year-old in a post-match interview.

“Playing Sascha is really tough and I was a bit lucky in the key moments. When you play against a top player like Sascha, you need all the weapons to work.”

Bublik, who reached a career-high of world No 30 in February 2022, previously admitted he did not enjoy playing tennis and only did it for money.

The Kazakh has, though, looked as motivated as at any point in his career during his run in Halle.

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