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Reuters
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Bublik says Vegas trip helped him compete with the robots
PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's trickster Alexander Bublik always brings a novel approach to his matches and off court too he defies convention, describing how a three-day trip to Las Vegas to let off steam helped turn around his year. The 27-year-old reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career on Saturday as he beat Portugal's Henrique Rocha 7-5 6-1 6-2, setting up a clash with Briton's fifth seed Jack Draper. Bublik reached a high of 17 in the rankings last year but dropped to 82 in March after a first-round exit at Indian Wells left him questioning whether he had what it took to compete with what he calls the tennis 'robots'. The answer? A trip to The Strip. "To be honest, my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising. It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come," he told reporters. "I was like, if I practise more, if I hit better forehands, it will come. It didn't, and then I got to the point, like, Okay, why am I sacrificing so much? For what? "My coach suggests a trip to Vegas in between Indian Wells and Phoenix. He's like, 'man, if you play like this, we're going to be out of tennis, out of the conversation by Wimbledon." Asked if the trip to the notorious Nevada playground was a training trip to Vegas or a Vegas trip to Vegas, Bublik said: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas, yeah. "It was a good three days. I arrived three hours before the match in Phoenix. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes." What happened was that Bublik reached the final in the second-tier Challenger event and something clicked. During the claycourt season he made the fourth round in Madrid and won a Challenger in Turin. Bublik, who describes himself as a normal guy, said he has accepted that he cannot compete with the world's very best on their terms, so has to bring something different to the table, be it underarm serves, through-the-leg returns or mind-boggling drop shots -- all played with a smile on his face. "I'm not a fighting person. In order for me to win against the best of the best, and I prove that I'm capable of doing that, I have to find ways to outplay them because they will outwork me, outrun me," he said. "I also find the ways to win matches, to find a way how can I beat those guys with what I have, and I have a lot, in terms of an arsenal of shots, shot selections. "Sometimes I have to go for crazy shots, but this is the only option I have. Otherwise, what happened with me when I was 17 is that I tried to play (their game)." In an age of sports science, endless gym work and nutrition plans, Bublik bucks the trend and do not expect him to enter a war of attrition with Draper. "Jack for me is insane. I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC?" Bublik said. "Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement. How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing."
CNA
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
Bublik says Vegas trip helped him compete with the robots
PARIS :Kazakhstan's trickster Alexander Bublik always brings a novel approach to his matches and off court too he defies convention, describing how a three-day trip to Las Vegas to let off steam helped turn around his year. The 27-year-old reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career on Saturday as he beat Portugal's Henrique Rocha 7-5 6-1 6-2, setting up a clash with Briton's fifth seed Jack Draper. Bublik reached a high of 17 in the rankings last year but dropped to 82 in March after a first-round exit at Indian Wells left him questioning whether he had what it took to compete with what he calls the tennis 'robots'. The answer? A trip to The Strip. "To be honest, my fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising. It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come," he told reporters. "I was like, if I practise more, if I hit better forehands, it will come. It didn't, and then I got to the point, like, Okay, why am I sacrificing so much? For what? "My coach suggests a trip to Vegas in between Indian Wells and Phoenix. He's like, 'man, if you play like this, we're going to be out of tennis, out of the conversation by Wimbledon." Asked if the trip to the notorious Nevada playground was a training trip to Vegas or a Vegas trip to Vegas, Bublik said: "No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas, yeah. "It was a good three days. I arrived three hours before the match in Phoenix. I had just let it all out. I said, I'm useless now, I can't win a match, so let it be, let's see how it goes." What happened was that Bublik reached the final in the second-tier Challenger event and something clicked. During the claycourt season he made the fourth round in Madrid and won a Challenger in Turin. Bublik, who describes himself as a normal guy, said he has accepted that he cannot compete with the world's very best on their terms, so has to bring something different to the table, be it underarm serves, through-the-leg returns or mind-boggling drop shots - all played with a smile on his face. "I'm not a fighting person. In order for me to win against the best of the best, and I prove that I'm capable of doing that, I have to find ways to outplay them because they will outwork me, outrun me," he said. "I also find the ways to win matches, to find a way how can I beat those guys with what I have, and I have a lot, in terms of an arsenal of shots, shot selections. "Sometimes I have to go for crazy shots, but this is the only option I have. Otherwise, what happened with me when I was 17 is that I tried to play (their game)." In an age of sports science, endless gym work and nutrition plans, Bublik bucks the trend and do not expect him to enter a war of attrition with Draper. "Jack for me is insane. I saw him first day here. I'm like, are you getting ready for UFC?" Bublik said. "Last year the guy is 40 in the world, this year he is top four, that's a crazy achievement. How can I beat him? I don't know. I will just go there, enjoy the time, show what I'm capable of showing."
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Tennis-Andreeva's lucky charm helps her into French Open last 16
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Russia's Mirra Andreeva celebrates after winning her third round match against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva REUTERS/Denis Balibouse PARIS (Reuters) -Mirra Andreeva had her lucky charm on her bench for her third-round clash against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva, but left her opponent no chance in a 6-3 6-1 victory on Saturday. The sixth seed, who won the Indian Wells and Dubai top-tier tournaments this year, set up a meeting with Australia's Daria Kasatkina. "I knew Yulia is a very tricky player, she has an interesting game and it's uncomfortable for me. She likes to cut the rhythm a lot, I knew it would be tough," the 18-year-old said on Court Suzanne Lenglen as umbrellas popped open in the stands on a grey Parisian morning. "I kind of knew what to expect I knew I had to play at 100% and fight for every ball and get those drop shots. I'm happy with the way I play today." Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals here last year, also attributed her win to a present she received. "When I was walking on court a little girl put a drawing on my bench, I kept it. It's my lucky charm," she said. "Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her because it is my lucky charm." Despite an inconsistent serve with four double faults, Andreeva bagged the opening set with a blistering forehand winner for her third break of serve. Putintseva tried to mix it up with drop shots but Andreeva's baseline power proved too much to handle and the Russian broke for 2-1 after a brief rain interruption. It was game over effectively as she went on to win the remaining four games. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Andreeva's lucky charm helps her into French Open last 16
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Russia's Mirra Andreeva in action during her third round match against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva reacts during her third round match against Russia's Mirra Andreeva REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Russia's Mirra Andreeva in action during her third round match against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in action during her third round match against Russia's Mirra Andreeva REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Russia's Mirra Andreeva in action during her third round match against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 31, 2025 Russia's Mirra Andreeva celebrates after winning her third round match against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva REUTERS/Denis Balibouse PARIS - Mirra Andreeva had her lucky charm on her bench for her third-round clash against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva, but left her opponent no chance in a 6-3 6-1 victory on Saturday. The sixth seed, who won the Indian Wells and Dubai top-tier tournaments this year, set up a meeting with Australia's Daria Kasatkina. "I knew Yulia is a very tricky player, she has an interesting game and it's uncomfortable for me. She likes to cut the rhythm a lot, I knew it would be tough," the 18-year-old said on Court Suzanne Lenglen as umbrellas popped open in the stands on a grey Parisian morning. "I kind of knew what to expect I knew I had to play at 100% and fight for every ball and get those drop shots. I'm happy with the way I play today." Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals here last year, also attributed her win to a present she received. "When I was walking on court a little girl put a drawing on my bench, I kept it. It's my lucky charm," she said. "Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her because it is my lucky charm." Despite an inconsistent serve with four double faults, Andreeva bagged the opening set with a blistering forehand winner for her third break of serve. Putintseva tried to mix it up with drop shots but Andreeva's baseline power proved too much to handle and the Russian broke for 2-1 after a brief rain interruption. It was game over effectively as she went on to win the remaining four games. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jack Draper vs Joao Fonseca start time: When is French Open match?
Jack Draper plays rising star Joao Fonseca for a place in the French Open fourth round. Draper, the British No 1 and fifth seed, is through to the third round for the first time after beating home favourite Gael Monfils in a four-set thriller on Thursday night. Advertisement The 23-year-old will now take on Brazil's teenager sensation Fonseca, with the 18-year-old reaching the third round of a grand slam for the first time after two straight-sets wins. Fonseca will be supported by his passionate Brazilian fans but Draper overcame the French crowd as he defeated Monfils on Court Philippe-Chatrier This will be their second career meeting, with Draper defeating Fonseca 6-4 6-0 on his way to winning the Indian Wells title on the California hard-courts. What time is Jack Draper vs Joao Fonseca? Draper vs Fonseca is the third match on Court Simonne-Mathieu, with play beginning with Paula Badosa vs Daria Kasatkina at 10am BST. That will be followed by another women's singles match, the all-French meeting between Elsa Jacquemot and Lois Boisson. Advertisement Draper and Fonseca could therefore take to court at around 2pm BST (UK time), but it could be slightly earlier or later depending on the previous matches. French Open order of play - Saturday 31 May Court Simonne-Mathieu (Start at 10:00) Daria Kasatkina (AUS) [17] vs Paula Badosa (ESP) [10] Elsa Jacquemot (FRA) vs Lois Boisson (FRA) Joao Fonseca (BRA) vs Jack Draper (GBR) [5] Cameron Norrie (GBR) vs Jacob Fearnley (GBR) Is it on TV and how can I watch? Yes, the match will be on TV, like every other match during the grand slam on TNT Sports and discovery+. Viewers can watch a live stream on the app through mobile devices.
