After Jan-Lennard Struff, Alexander Zverev also failed at the ATP tournament in Halle because of Alexander Bublik. In the semifinals, the German tennis professional lost in two sets. There is a consolation for Zverev: despite the 3: 6, 5: 7, he will be the German number one again on Monday.
The day before his success against Nicolas Jarry, Alexander Zverev was given an impressive demonstration of what to expect in the semifinals against Alexander Bublik. The Kazakh is not an off-the-shelf player, one who combines genius and madness. “It’s a bit like a coin toss for him which foot he gets up with. He can get up tomorrow and serve over 30 aces. But he can also serve 20 double faults,” said Zverev about the man who stood between him and the final at the ATP -Tournament still standing.
Bublik drove his DTB colleague Jan-Lennard Struff crazy with his powerful serve, but above all with his repeated stops, the unconventional forehand played as a slice and sometimes a serve from below. So Zverev knew that he had to expect everything from his opponent in the semifinals.
Serves from Bublik too powerful
And yet Bublik had a much better start against the French Open semi-finalist. With his serves of up to 220 kilometers per hour, the outsider played his games confidently and he remained as uncomfortable with his returns as he had been against Struff. The result: Zverev had to give up his second service game, Bublik worked out a comfortable lead.
When the score was 4:1, the game had to be briefly interrupted due to a medical emergency in the stands – the rhythm of the world number 48. however, did not change that. Although Zverev still got the game and was not harmed afterwards, he had no chance against Bublik’s power of impact. After 35 minutes, Zverev lost the first set 3: 6.
At 5:5 it falls preliminary decision
Nothing out of the ordinary happened in the first five games of the second half. Both players easily won their service games – but then there were the first explosive moments of the sentence. When the score was 3: 2, Zverev earned his first breakball. But Bublik again took the highest risk and blocked thanks to a strong stop. He equalized shortly afterwards with an ace. In the next game, Zverev got into trouble. The old and new German number one (he overtakes Struff again in the new world rankings) was also able to fend off two break chances.
However, when the score was 5: 5, Zverev lost control. Bublik scored the first three points when the opponent served and worked out three crucial breakballs – and he was able to use the first one. Bublik also won the final service game, who did not allow a break against Zverev and thus made the entry into the final perfect.
Bublik in the final against Rublev
In the final on Sunday, Bublik meets the Russian Andrey Rublew, who won his semi-final against the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday 6:3 and 6:4. Bautista Agut knocked out last year’s finalist and top seed Daniil Medvedev from Russia in the quarter-finals.
The doubles final will also take place without German participation. Wartseiner Jan-Lennard Struff and Cologne’s Oscar Otte lost their semi-final against the Brazilian-Australian combination Marcelo Melo and John Peers 6: 7 (5: 7) and 6: 7 (4: 7). Melo and Peers now meet the Italian duo Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the final.
