Bublik advances to the final of the Hangzhou Open, standing alongside Alcaraz, Sinner, and Zverev

On Monday, at the Lynk & Co Hangzhou Open, Bublik overcame Chinese wildcard Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-3, marking him as one of just four men this season to reach tour-level finals on clay, grass, and hard surfaces, alongside Alcaraz, Sinner, and Zverev.

In July’s clay tournaments, Bublik won titles at both Gstaad and Kitzbühel, and in June, he captured the Halle grass-court title. Now, as the third seed at the ATP 250 Hangzhou hard-court event, his performance has been impressive. Against Wu Yibing, Bublik fired 19 aces over 61 minutes to decisively defeat the local favorite and advance to the final.

Bublik commented after the match:

“I expected a tough battle. Obviously, he (Wu Yibing) looked a bit tired from his match yesterday. Playing against a home player from a specific region is never easy. I’m glad I stayed strong and didn’t give him many chances.”

It’s clear that Bublik mentally prepared thoroughly for facing a local opponent before the match.

Wu Yibing caused an upset by defeating Medvedev in the quarterfinals of the Hangzhou Open, but in his first ATP meeting with Bublik, he struggled to handle his opponent’s powerful offense. Bublik’s record this season stands at 30 wins and 17 losses, and he is on track to achieve his best career season (his previous best was 35 wins in 2021). He is aiming for his third title in the last four tournaments, with his only loss during that span coming in the US Open fourth round against then-world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

Bublik has risen three spots to 12th in the ATP Turin Finals live rankings and will strive to maintain strong performances in the remaining events of the season to secure a spot at the ATP Finals. However, this goal is challenging, as he needs to earn at least 1000 points in upcoming tournaments to have a chance.

If he wins the Hangzhou title, he will achieve his career-high ATP ranking of No. 16:

He will face French qualifier Valentin Royer in the final on Tuesday.

Royer continued his breakthrough week by defeating fellow Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-2 to reach the final. The 24-year-old is making his first ATP semifinal appearance and is the fourth qualifier this year to reach an ATP tour final.

In their first ATP meeting, Royer hit 15 winners with only 13 unforced errors and successfully neutralized the left-handed Moutet’s court craft to secure the victory. Royer has climbed 13 places to No. 75 in the PIF ATP live rankings and will set a career-high ranking on Wednesday.

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