Alexander Bublik is on the verge of a long-awaited career milestone as he prepares to face Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Halle Open.
After defeating Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 semifinal, Bublik now finds himself just one win away from his first title in over a year. And his first-ever win against World No. 11 Medvedev.
“He’s basically the last Russian standing that I haven’t beaten in my life,” Bublik said with a grin after his semifinal win. “I’ve beaten all of them… Daniil was my curse throughout my career. But as a wise man once told me, every time you lose to someone, mathematically you’ll come closer to a win. Let’s hope tomorrow will be the lucky one.”
The Kazakh has now reached his 12th career final, his 4th on grass, and 2nd in Halle. That’s not all; Bublik has been playing some of the most dominating tennis of his career this week, reaching the Halle finals.
His win over Khachanov proved to be one of his most dominant performances on court. Down two points from defeat, Bublik managed to force a tiebreak and then closed out the match in the third set.
On the other side of the net, Daniil Medvedev continues to remind everyone why he’s a constant presence on the grass court. The former World No. 5 defeated Alexander Zverev 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 in a high-quality semifinal. Zverev saved three match points in the second set, but Medvedev had other plans.
With the win, Medvedev reaches his 39th career final, notches his 48th Top 10 win, and books his second final in Halle. Known for his grinding grass-court skills, Medvedev will be a tough obstacle for Bublik.
With that being said, the Halle final promises to be a thriller for tennis enthusiasts. While one is playing with newfound consistency, the other with the calm of a seasoned champion. All eyes will be on whether Bublik can finally lift the “curse” and claim a win against the last Russian he’s yet to find victory against. Well, only time will tell.
