Alexander Bublik (world No. 16) confidently defeated Corentin Moutet (No. 32) in the second round of the ATP 1000 Rolex Paris Masters (6-3, 7-5). Moutet had declared his intent to teach the Kazakhstani player a lesson and «send him home.» The outcome turned out to be the exact opposite.
Moutet only managed to anger Bublik. He forced the French opponent to play his own fast, sweeping and powerful game, which proved too much for Moutet. Over two sets, Bublik allowed his opponent just one break point, which Moutet failed to convert.
Bublik himself made two breaks — in the fourth game of the first set and the eleventh game of the second — and completed the match after an hour and 38 minutes: 6-3, 7-5. Ace count: 6-3, with a total of 73-62 points won.
After the match, Bublik didn’t miss the chance to troll Corentin, writing «on the way home» on a TV camera.
«He obviously talked too much before the match. He spoke too much. I had no choice but to punish him. He said he would do everything to send me home. So, it’s a good thing he lives in Paris and isn’t too far in a taxi,» Punto de Break cited Bublik as saying in his on-court interview.
According to Punto de Break, Corentin admitted that Bublik is a very good player, especially on indoor hard courts. However, he still doesn’t like the Kazakhstani’s behavior on court.
Bublik will play Taylor Fritz (No. 4) for a place in the quarterfinals. The American beat Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic (No. 103) in straight sets — 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 — and clinched his spot at the season-ending ATP Finals, which will be held in Turin from Nov. 9 to 16, immediately after the women’s event.
The head-to-head record between Fritz and Bublik stands at 3–3. However, Fritz has won the last three meetings, including their encounter at the 2024 Olympics in Paris (6-4, 6-4).
