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Alexander Bublik is an ATP 500 champion! Bublik came to Halle with an 8-19 score, barely standing in the top-50. The Kazakh demonstrated his best tennis at the famous ATP 500 grass-court event, beating five rivals for a career-best title and a ranking boost.
Alexander took down a top-10 rival Andrey Rublev in the final, scoring a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory in an hour and 34 minutes for the proudest moment of his career. Bublik defeated his good friend from their junior days with a better performance in the crucial moments.
Alexander fired 21 aces and 12 double faults, dropping only four points behind the first serve and saving three out of four break points. Rublev stole the rival's serve in the second set to force a decider, but it was not enough to go all the way.
The Russian lost serve once in sets one and three each, unable to pull them back and settling with the runner-up prize. Bublik had 41 winners and 19 unforced errors, overpowering Rublev's 20-9 ratio.
Alexander Bublik claimed his first ATP 500 title in Halle.
The Kazakh landed 41 service winners and produced an almost flawless performance at the net.
Alexander defended a break point in the encounter's first game and grabbed a break at 15 to forge an early advantage. Bublik fired a powerful serve in the third game for a hold at love and 3-0 in nine minutes. The Kazakh held at love in game five for 4-1 and repeated that in the seventh to remain in front.
Bublik served for the opener at 5-3 and forced the rival's mistake to secure the set in 27 minutes. The Russian served well in the second set, delivering five comfortable holds and keeping the pressure on the other side. Alexander denied a break point in the fourth game with a booming serve before facing more problems two games later.
Rublev grabbed a break after forcing the rival's volley error to build his first advantage. Andrey painted a backhand behind-the-back volley winner in the ninth game to wrap up the set and force a decider. Bublik started all over and pushed strong on the return in the third set's second game.
He seized the third break chance with a backhand crosscourt winner that sent him in front. The Kazakh served well in the upcoming games and held at 15 with an ace in game seven for 5-2. The Russian served to stay in the match in game eight and held at love to extend his chances.
Bublik served for the title at 5-3 and faced a break point after a double fault. Alexander denied it with a service winner and landed another powerful serve on a match point to start a massive celebration with his family and team.