logo
Bublik wins first claycourt title in Gstaad

Bublik wins first claycourt title in Gstaad

Observer21-07-2025
GSTAAD, Switzerland: Kazakh Alexander Bublik won his first tour-level claycourt title at the Swiss Open in Gstaad, beating Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-4 4-6 6-3 in the ATP 250 event's final on Sunday.
French Open quarter-finalist Bublik, seeded second in Gstaad, was playing in his first final on clay. He had not dropped a set en route to the final but had to regroup after a patchy second set to seal the win in just over two hours.
"Juan, as I told you at the net, this was not tennis. It was complete torture," Bublik joked at the trophy ceremony.
"This is my sixth title and I have played the greats of the game, but this final I will remember as one of the toughest I ever played."
"I can't wait to come back next year. The beautiful Alps. It's an amazing spot. I'm really happy that I'm standing here as a winner, but even if I'd lost in the first round, the view is amazing anyway."
The victory for the ever-entertaining Bublik was a solid return to form after his first-round Wimbledon exit. It was his second title of the season and the sixth of his career. The world number 34 lifted the ATP 500 grasscourt trophy in Halle last month.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gauff outlasts Collins to advance at Montreal
Gauff outlasts Collins to advance at Montreal

Observer

time21 hours ago

  • Observer

Gauff outlasts Collins to advance at Montreal

MONTREAL: World number two Coco Gauff battled into the third round of the WTA Canadian Open on Tuesday by outlasting US compatriot Danielle Collins 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2). Gauff won the last six points of the match to capture her opener in her first hardcourt tune-up event on the road to the US Open, which starts on August 24. Top seed Gauff, the reigning French Open champion who also won the 2023 US Open, advanced to a third-round Montreal match against fifth-ranked Veronika Kudermetova, who eliminated Serbian Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2. "It was a frustrating match for me just because I felt like I was practicing well and then I don't think I transferred it," Gauff said. "But hopefully I got my bad match of the tournament out of the way and I can come back stronger in the next round." The 21-year old Gauff, seeking her 11th career WTA title, fired 23 double faults against three aces, but closed out the match with an ace after two hours and 55 minutes. "It was a tough battle out there," Gauff said. "Making serves in the court was the toughest challenge. Maybe if I cut that in half it could be a quicker match for me. I thought I was playing well, except for that part of my game." Gauff converted nine of 16 break chances in her first victory since capturing the title at Roland Garros. "For me to break her as many times as I did, there are some positives to take from today," Gauff said. Collins and Gauff exchanged breaks in the first four games before Gauff held and then broke again for a 4-2 lead then held again. But serving for the set, Gauff swatted a crosscourt forehand wide to surrender a break and Collins held to 5-5, only for Gauff to hold then break at love to take the first set in 53 minutes on the fifth of 13 Collins double faults. After trading four breaks in the first six games, Collins broke at love to 4-3 and held twice to force a third set. Collins served for the match leading 6-5 in the final set only for Gauff to break with a backhand crosscourt winner to force a tiebreaker. Gauff fell behind 2-1 but landed an mishit lob winner and never dropped another point, Collins hitting a forehand long, double faulting and netting a backhand to 5-2 before Gauff blasted a service winner and ace to end matters. ITO OUSTS PAOLINI The day's biggest shocker saw Japanese qualifier Aoi Ito stun Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5). The 21-year-old beat American Katie Volynets in the first round for her first WTA 1000 level triumph then followed with her first victory over a top-10 opponent by rallying from a set and break down to advance after two hours and 27 minutes. World number 110 Ito saved a match point in the 10th game of the second set and outlasted sixth-ranked Paolini to book a third-round match against Spain's 51st-ranked Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who defeated American Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 6-4. Ito reached the semifinals last October at Osaka in her WTA debut and claimed a 125-level title at Canberra in January, but until this week had not won a tour-level match this year. In other matches, DC Open champion Leylah Fernandez dropped her opener on home soil, falling to Australian Maya Joint 6-4, 6-1. Washington runner-up Anna Kalinskaya advances, the Russian beating American Ann Li 7-6 (8/6), 0-6, 6-3. Russian fourth seed Mirra Andreeva advanced to the third round in a walkover past Canada's Bianca Andreescu due to a left ankle injury. — AFP

Fernandez dominates Kalinskaya to win DC Open
Fernandez dominates Kalinskaya to win DC Open

Observer

time3 days ago

  • Observer

Fernandez dominates Kalinskaya to win DC Open

WASHINGTON: Canada's Leylah Fernandez produced a dominant performance to defeat Russia's Anna Kalinskaya in straight sets and win the WTA Tour's DC Open in Washington on Sunday. The 22-year-old bagged the first WTA 500 victory of her career and her first title since 2023 to win 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour. The win completed a fairytale week for Fernandez, the 2021 US Open finalist who had beaten top seed Jessica Pegula and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on her way to the fourth title of her career. Fernandez said she had grown in belief throughout her campaign. "In the beginning of the tournament (there) was still a lot of doubt, but as the tournament progressed, I was starting to play better," Fernandez said. "I have gone through so many different challenges this week. I think it has just made me stronger in a way, that if I can get through this week — through the cramps, through the long matches, through the heat and humidity — I can get through anything." Fernandez got off to a blistering start, dominating Kalinskaya's serve to take the opening set in just 30 minutes. After three holds left Fernandez 2-1 up, the breakthrough came in the fourth game with Kalinskaya's serve looking increasingly vulnerable. The Russian was soon in trouble at 15-40 down, and then double faulted to hand Fernandez the break and a 3-1 lead. Fernandez was having no such difficulty on serve and held comfortably for a 4-1 lead before going on to attack Kalinskaya's serve in the sixth game. The Canadian held two break points at 15-40 and duly converted the second for a 5-1 lead, lasering a backhand return to leave Kalinskaya rooted to the spot. A delicate drop shot at the net gave Fernandez the set in the next game. The second set mirrored the first, with Fernandez grabbing an early break to seize the initiative at 2-1 before breaking again soon afterwards for a 4-1 lead. The next two games went with serve but Fernandez made no mistake when serving for the match, converting the second of two match points. Fernandez will head to Canada for this week's WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Montreal, where she is anticipating a tougher test. "Montreal is a whole different monster," she said. "It's a bigger draw, longer tournament. It's going to be start from zero." — AFP

Norrie ousts Musetti to advance at DC Open
Norrie ousts Musetti to advance at DC Open

Observer

time23-07-2025

  • Observer

Norrie ousts Musetti to advance at DC Open

WASHINGTON: Britain's Cameron Norrie rallied to defeat world number seven Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday, reaching the third round at the ATP and WTA DC Open. Norrie, seeking his sixth ATP title, captured his first victory over a top-10 player in 2 1/2 years by eliminating the second seed at the first hardcourt tuneup for the US Open. Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams will make her return to singles after a 16-month hiatus later, the 45-year-old American to face compatriot Peyton Stearns. Japan's Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, meets Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in another later match. Musetti, who had a first-round bye, reached three semi-finals and a final on clay earlier this year, falling to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in a French Open semi-final. But he dropped his opener at Wimbledon and suffered his third loss in a row at Washington. Norrie managed only three winners in the first set, two of them on aces, but dominated the second set to force a third. Norrie saved five break points to hold in the fifth game of the final set then broke Musetti on his fourth chance in the sixth game, grabbing a 4-2 lead on an errant backhand by the Italian. Musetti fought off two match points in the final game, one on a Norrie double fault, but fell to the 29-year-old left-hander by sending a backhand beyond the baseline after two hours and seven minutes. Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing beat France's Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-1 for his first tour-level triumph since last year at Shanghai after the Frenchman ran into a clock at the rear corner of the court in the first set, hitting it with his right ankle. 'I saw him falling down there,' Wu said. I don't know what happened but after I asked him. He said his foot actually maybe stuck under the clock. 'Hopefully he's OK. I didn't feel any difference (in his game). He was still reaching balls and good rallies.' — AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store