Bublik seals another Halle title as Medvedev wait goes on
dpa
Halle, Germany
Kazahkstan's unseeded Alexander Bublik beat third seed Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in the Halle final on Sunday to lay down a marker for Wimbledon.
Russian Medvedev was in his first final for 15 months, but will head into the grass grand slam on June 30 without a title since 2023. The 2021 US Open champion was behind on a host of metrics as he was broken in the first set.
Bublik, who also triumphed in Halle in 2023, was then equally assertive in the second set tie-break to triumph.
The 27-year-old, born in Russia, picked up his fifth career title having ousted world number one Jannik Sinner in the last 16 on the west German grass.
'It's tough to speak. I had such tough months since last Wimbledon to probably this summer,' said Bublik, who had recently dropped outside the top 75 in the rankings 'I was close to calling it quits after Wimbledon (in 2024), because I was not enjoying it anymore.
'Now this is happening. I don't know. Quarters at the French. Winner here. I have no words.'
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