(Tennis news) Alexander Bublik made a good start to the game and won the first set 6-3. Rublev, however, prevailed by the same margin in the second set to force a tiebreaker. Bublik had a strong start to the third set by breaking in the second game, which proved to be crucial as he went on to win 6-3 and win just his second career championship. Additionally, he defeated Rublev for the first time after losing their previous three meetings.

Alexander Bublik, a Kazakh player, defeated third-seeded Andrey Rublev 6-3 3-6 6-3 on Sunday to win the Halle Open, his maiden victory on grass just over a week before Wimbledon began. The 26-year-old also won his second tour title, following his victory in Montpellier in 2022. The 48th-ranked Bublik exploded out of the gate and broke in Rublev’s very first serve game to go up 2-0. Bublik won the opening set in no time thanks to his thunderous serve, which was impossible for his opponent to return.

Andrey Rublev, who was competing in his second Halle final in three years and was hoping to build on his season-long Monte-Carlo victory, exacted revenge when he successfully converted his third breakpoint of the game at 3-2.

He maintained serve to even the score, but Bublik came back and gained a break at the start of the third set with a brilliant backhand crosscourt winner. The Kazakh, who has played in two Newport finals and has experience on grass, did serve 12 double faults throughout the match, but he came out on top by hitting a second serve ace on his first match point to win his second tour championship.

Alexander Bublik stated that taking home the Terra Wortmann Open trophy meant the world to him and was his prize for six months of adversity.

“It really means the world to me,” Bublik said. “I’ve been struggling for half a year and now having this a reward, I don’t take it for granted. It was hard work.”

“I was walking through the little hall of fame here before entering the court for the very first time against Struff [in the second round], and I was like ‘Wow, the different names, a lot of guys I’m familiar with. That would be nice maybe to have it one day.”

“But I could not even imagine that I would win this tournament, and I’m really, really happy,” the Kazakh said.

Before overcoming Rublev, Alexander Bublik defeated ninth seed Alexander Zverev, fourth seed Jannik Sinner, fourth seed Jan-Lennard Struff, and seventh seed Borna Coric. With his victory in Halle, the 26-year-old now has a 13-19 win-loss record for the 2023 campaign. He has previously advanced to the Open 13 Provence semifinals in Marseille.

The following competition for Bublik is the Mallorca Championships, where he is seeded fifth. In the opening round, the 26-year-old will compete against Albert Ramos Vinolas. Bublik has prevailed in each of their previous meetings, which will be their fourth overall. In the second round of the Mallorca Championships, the victor of the match will take on either Constant Lestienne or Jason Kubler.

Also read: Alexander Zverev loses in the semis at Terra Wortmann