Alexander Bublik secured one of the biggest wins of his career on Thursday as he eliminated World No. 1 Jannik Sinner from the Halle Open, thus dashing the Italian’s hopes of a title defense.
After the victory, the Kazakh took to social media to highlight his revenge for their earlier meeting.
Alexander Bublik References Earlier Loss to Jannik Sinner in Latest Halle Open 2R Win Message
Sinner looked strong in the first set and eventually secured it 6-3. However, the Kazakh mounted a strong comeback, winning the next two sets 6-3, 6-4 and quashing his opponent’s title defense hopes. The 28-year-old hit 36 winners, including 15 aces, during the match.
Notably, Bublik had fallen to the three-time Major champion in the French Open quarterfinals earlier this month but avenged that defeat in style in Halle.
Notably, Bublik fell to Sinner in three sets in Paris earlier this month, and Roland Garros’ official Instagram handle later celebrated his run online, prompting a sarcastic comment from the 28-year-old.
“I almost got him guys,” he wrote.
After reversing the outcome this time, Bublik followed up with a message referencing that sarcastic remark. Reacting to Tennis TV’s post, he wrote:
“I got him guys.”
It is worth noting that Bublik’s remarks in Paris and Halle echoed American star Taylor Fritz’s words for Casper Ruud, who had fallen to Sinner in straight sets in the Italian Open quarterfinals last month.
“You almost had him,” Fritz reacted to Ruud’s Instagram post after his defeat in Rome.
Bublik wrapped up the match in two hours and four minutes, securing his fourth career victory over a top-10 opponent. Notably, this was the first time Sinner had failed to reach a final since Cincinnati in August last year.
Bublik Reflects on His Performance After Defeating Sinner in Halle
Bublik appeared pleased with his performance and spoke about his game plan against Sinner at the Halle Open. He explained that a combination of aces and strong returns played a key role in his victory.
“I tried to be clutch. I tried to get back whatever I can. I mean, he’s (Sinner) is an unbelievable player. I was not thinking that I could beat him, but I mean, if I would have a few chances and I executed them well and they kept serving, I had the better chances than Roland Garros. So I just stayed there, tried to return as much as I could, and serve aces so the ball doesn’t come back. And yeah, that worked really well,” he said during his post-match on-court interview.
More: Jannik Sinner Reveals His True Feelings After Suffering His Worst Loss in Almost 2 Years in Halle
Bublik now shifts his focus to Friday’s quarterfinal encounter against the seventh seed Tomas Machac. This marks their second encounter on tour, with the Kazakh leading 1-0 in their head-to-head.