Alexander Bublik

Tennis | Major upset! Jannik Sinner crashes out in second round after defeat to World No. 45 Alexander Bublik | Tennis News

Danijones8 hours ago04 mins

Italy’s Jannik Sinner (David Inderlied/dpa via AP) Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan defeated defending champion Jannik Sinner in the second round of the Halle grass tournament. The world number one suffered a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 loss to the 45th-ranked Bublik, marking his first defeat to a player outside the top 20 since summer 2023.Sinner had previously dominated Bublik in their French Open quarter-final matchup, losing only six games. This victory marked Bublik’s second win in six encounters against Sinner, coming just ten days before Wimbledon.“We are tennis players and we try to win every match we play, but it is a special one. I had never beaten a No. 1 in the world. It is an accomplishment,” Bublik said.Sinner, who had defeated Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets in the opening round, controlled the first set against Bublik without facing a break point. Despite having three break points early in the second set, Sinner couldn’t capitalise. Bublik seized control, hitting 20 winners and securing a crucial break in the sixth game.The Kazakh player secured a decisive break in the third set with an impressive forehand shot.“I had an amazing forehand to break in the third set, and then I kept serving. On grass, if you lose your serve, it is maybe tough, and I am a guy who doesn’t lose a lot of serves. I just kept serving and putting him in uncomfortable positions, and it worked well.”“He is an unbelievable player, and I was not thinking that I could beat him. But I had a few chances and executed them well,” said Bublik. Bublik will face Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals, following the Czech’s 6-2, 6-3 victory over Hungarian Fabian Marozsan.World number three Alexander Zverev overcame Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in a three-set match. The German secured a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) win against the 46th-ranked Italian.Zverev, who reached the Halle finals in 2016 and 2017, maintained his perfect record against Sonego with his fifth consecutive victory. He will next face Italian Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals.Sonego capitalised on his only break opportunity at 4-3 in the first set. Zverev struggled with his opponent’s serve throughout the match but managed to win the second set at 5-4 before dominating the final set tiebreak. In another match, Argentina’s 63rd-ranked Tomas Martin Etcheverry advanced to the quarter-finals. He defeated fourth seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6) in a three-hour battle.Etcheverry saved two match points in the final set tiebreak to earn a quarter-final clash with Russia’s Karen Khachanov.

Halle Open: Jannik Sinner’s title defence over after shocking loss to Alexander Bublik

Danijones8 hours ago04 mins

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s title defence at the Halle Open came to an abrupt end on Thursday, as he suffered a shock 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Alexander Bublik in the round of 16. The Kazakhstani, ranked 45th in the world, produced one of the finest performances of his career to upset the top seed and book his place in the quarter-finals. Sinner, who was aiming to become the first player since Roger Federer to win consecutive titles in Halle, looked in control early on, breaking Bublik twice to race to a 3-0 lead and sealing the opening set with authority. But the match quickly shifted as Bublik responded with his trademark flair, firing 36 winners, including 15 aces, to disrupt the rhythm of the usually composed Italian. It marked Sinner’s first defeat to a player outside the Top 20 since his loss to Dusan Lajovic in Cincinnati last year. Ironically, Bublik had also beaten Sinner en route to winning the title in Halle in 2023, now making it two wins in as many appearances against the Italian at this grass-court event. “I don’t know. I kept serving. I tried to get back whatever I can,” Bublik said after the win. “He’s an unbelievable player. I was not thinking I could beat him.” Bublik saved three break points early in the second set and broke at 4-2 before levelling the match. In the decider, a crucial break in the seventh game gave him a 4-3 lead, which he consolidated with three more aces to close out the contest in just under two hours. The 26-year-old will now face Czech seventh seed Tomas Machac, who cruised past Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-3. Elsewhere in Halle, German second seed Alexander Zverev battled back from a set down to defeat Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), maintaining his perfect record against the Italian. Zverev, a two-time finalist in Halle still searching for his maiden grass-court crown, will next meet Flavio Cobolli, who edged past Denis Shapovalov in a tense three-setter, 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(5). Meanwhile, fourth seed Andrey Rublev became the latest high-profile casualty, losing to Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(6) in a gripping three-hour contest. Etcheverry saved two match points in the final-set tiebreak to advance and will face Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who overcame Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: Jun 20, 2025