Top seed Alexander Bublik booked a return to the Kitzbühel final on Friday, defeating fourth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-4 at the clay-court ATP 250 event in the Austrian Alps. The defending champion needed one hour 25 minutes and again kept his perfect set record for the week, mirroring his title run last year when he did not drop a set.
Bublik’s Dominance on the Court
Bublik overpowered Etcheverry behind a dominant first serve, winning 82 percent of his points on that shot (32 of 39). He is now 2-0 against the Argentine at tour level, having also beaten him in straight sets at the Australian Open in January. The No. 11 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Bublik is 26-16 this season and owns nine ATP Tour titles, including a hard-court crown in Hong Kong in early January.
The 29-year-old will try to become the first player to successfully defend the Kitzbühel title since Robin Haase achieved the feat in 2012 and 2013. His consistent performance and powerful serve have placed him in a favorable position to clinch the title again this year.
Quentin Halys will stand across the net in Saturday’s final after the Frenchman beat Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 7-6 (2). Halys let three match points slip while serving at 5-3 in the second set and missed five more in the next game, but he steadied to close the tiebreak and finish the one-hour 41-minute contest.
The meeting sets up a rematch of their only previous tour-level encounter. Just eight days ago in Gstaad, Halys edged Bublik in a deciding-set tiebreak to reach the final there. Both players are 29 and bring big serves into a showdown that will decide the Kitzbühel trophy. As the final approaches, fans eagerly anticipate a thrilling match that showcases the skill and determination of both players.