Alexander Bublik wins 2023 Halle Open

Alexander Bublik (Twitter)

With Wimbledon 2023 just over a week away, and prize money on the rise, there were two ATP 500 events in Europe this weekend. At the 2023 Halle Open in Germany, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan defeated Andrey Rublev of Russia in the final, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

For Bublik it was his second ATP title, but first at the ATP 500 level. His first ATP Tour win came at the Open Sud de France (a 250 event), an indoor hard tournament in Montpellier in February of 2019. In the final, Bublik defeated reigning Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev of Germany, 6-4, 6-3.

In Halle this year Bublik was unseeded, while Rublev was seeded third. Bublik is the second unseeded player in the last three years to win the Halle Open. He follows Ugo Humbert of France who won in 2021. Interestingly Humbert also also beat Rublev, as Humbert won by a score of 6-3, 7-6.

On Sunday, Rublev had a difficulty reading Bublik’s serve, as Bublik recorded 21 aces. Bublik also broke Rublev once each in the first and third sets.

Bublik beat four seeded players to win the Halle Open tournament. In addition to beating Rublev in the final, he beat the seventh seed Borna Coric of Croatia 6-3, 6-1 in the first round, the fourth seed Jannik Sinner of Italy in the second round (Sinner withdrew because of an adductor muscle injury), and Zverev, the ninth seed, 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinals.

The fact that Bublik represents Kazakhstan is a little controversial. Like reigning Wimbledon women’s singles champion Elina Rybakina, Bublik is Russian-born, and was offered significant benefits by the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation to change nationalities.

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