At a career high of world No. 16, Alexander Bublik continues to build upon a standout season at the Rolex Paris Masters, producing a statement 6-3, 7-5 win over in-form Corentin Moutet in one hour and 37 minutes on Wednesday night.
In his on-court interview, the 8-time ATP titlist addressed his performance playing for the first time on center court: “It was definitely a much better match from my end, I really like the court, it’s bigger, so I’m more used to the conditions when you have more space.”
On Tuesday, the Kazakhstani player opened his campaign on French soil with a straightforward victory over Australian Alexei Popyrin, a contest staged on Court 1.
“The ceiling is high and the Court No. 1 is a bit too small, it gives you the feeling that the balls are flying fast because it’s too slow, so the guy hits it harder, and on a smaller court, that’s how you feel it, especially for me,” he added.
For the first time in its history, the last Masters 1000 of the season is held at Paris La Defense Arena, Europe’s biggest venue.
Next, the 28-year-old will square off against world No. 4 Taylor Fritz, who edged Aleksandar Vukic 7-6(4), 6-2 on Tuesday, qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the third time in his career.
They are tied 3-3 in their series; their last meeting dates back to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
A Fast-Paced Showing
The 13th seed took the better of the local favorite in an entertaining match, which saw the two players deliver a high-quality tennis display, creating an electrifying atmosphere at the new venue for the delight of the fans.
Overall, the charismatic and talented player hit 31 winners against 30 unforced errors, compared to his opponent, 18 and 15, respectively, winning 79 percent of the points on his first serve.
Making the most of his powerful service, Bublik paved the way to convert the first break in the fourth game, executing with precision a down-the-line winner to take a 3-1 advantage.
From there, the Hangzhou champion raced through with consistency, closing out 6-3 in just 33 minutes without facing a break point during the first set.
In the second set, they went toe-to-toe in a grueling battle that saw the world No. 32 fending off seven break points to come through a 13-minute ninth game, up 5-4.
Then, the Kazakh navigated out of danger, firing a forehand winner down the line to stay in the match before converting a clinical break in the 11th game.
With a hold to love, he pocketed the set 7-5 and the win, advancing to the round of 16 for the sixth time at the Masters 1000 level.
Further assessing the second rounder, he asserted: “Here, especially Corentin is not hitting that hard; it’s a more comfortable way of playing, a more comfortable way of unleashing my shots that I do feel well today. I’m really happy with the performance.”
As a result, he equaled his personal best of 35 wins in a season with four titles under his belt this year.