Expect the unexpected: Demon to face Bublik enemy No.1
Alexander Bublik is a bit different. Alexander Bublik likes serving underarm. Alexander Bublik likes feigning to serve underarm. Bored, Alexander Bublik will go over and untie the chair umpire's shoelace.
He'll drop-shot you from a mile behind the baseline. He'll hit a winner past you with his racquet handle. He'll tell you he hates playing on clay than blast you away with a barrage of aces and ludicrous winners. Then sometimes, he'll look like he doesn't care two hoots.
So, of course, Alex de Minaur knows to expect the unexpected when he meets the delightfully crazy Kazakh in his second-round date at Roland-Garros.
3 drop shots and a tweener...the most Bublik game you'll ever see 🤣@BublikAlexander #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/4ET7vyCGOb
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 11, 2024
Yet, as unpredictable as he is, there is an absolute predictability about the outcome, reckons James Duckworth, the Aussie who was blown away by a Bublik barrage in the opening round.
"Demon will win," asserts Duckworth, matter-of-fact.
Why so certain? "Well, he's got one of the best return of serves in the world and he's lighting quick, so he's going to get to a lot more drop shots than I did.
"Then from the back, Demon wins most of the points. The weather's not overly hot, it's not playing particularly quick, so Bublik's gonna have to hit lines to win."
What's it like playing someone like Bublik? "Well, it is unpredictable. Like you've got to be ready for everything," said Duckworth.
"You go into the match knowing that there could be an underarms, there could be, like, a drop shot from an obscure position, that he could just hit and come in randomly. That's his style, and that's worked for him."
It sounds straightforward enough but ninth seed de Minaur has noted just how Bublik's form has improved ominously of late, with the world No.62 coming off a Challenger triumph in Turin a couple of weeks ago, before on Monday dismissing Duckworth with 16 aces and 41 winners.
"Extremely dangerous," mused de Minaur. "Unpredictable. He takes the racquet out of your hands. He's obviously not going to want to hang in too many rallies, he's going to try and have short points and break my rhythm.
"I've got to be both ready mentally to expect anything and everything, and also make sure I'm ready physically from the very first point to the last."
Andrey Rublev has a touch of the wild Bublik temperament too, but he plays on a more elevated level - he's been as high as No.5 in the world and is currently at 15 - and represents the challenge of Brisbane player Adam Walton's fledgling pro career in the second round.
The Russian is great mates with his friend from junior days Daria Kasatkina, who's now thrown her lot in with Australian tennis and will face an examination from Frenchwoman Leolia Jeanjean and, doubtless, the raucous crowd supporting their home wildcard on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
AUSTRALIANS IN SINGLES ACTION ON DAY FIVE AT THE FRENCH OPEN (Prefix denotes seeding)
Women
(17) Daria Kasatkina v Leolia Jeanjean (FRA)
Men
Adam Walton v (17) Andrey Rublev (RUS)
(9) Alex de Minaur v Alexander Bublik (KAZ)
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