Bublik: "I don't come here to throw the match if something goes wrong"

Streaming Wimbledon live tennis

🎾 Thanasi Kokkinakis vs Alexander Bublik

1. Sign up with Bet365 here
2. Make your first deposit of at least €5
3. Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

 PUBLICIDAD

Register at bet365, deposit €5 or more into your account and you will receive 100% of your eligible deposit in Bet Credits (up to €100). New customers only. Terms apply. Winnings do not include the value of Bet Credits. Maximum prizes, game restrictions, time limits and terms apply. Registration required.

We really like the new Alexander Bublik a lot. The Kazakhstani tennis player defeated Hubert Hurkacz after a tough battle in the first round of the ATP 500 in Rotterdam. This match, if played a year ago, would have had a very different outcome. Still on the court, 'Sascha' analyzed the game and the change in mentality that has brought him to the ATP top 10.

The Bublik 2.0 can return a shot to lose the match and break one of the best servers on the tour, or save two break points in the final game to wrap it up in style. His complaints persist, as they are part of his personality, but once the point is in play, nothing matters more than the next shot. Working in silence, the Kazakhstani player has become one of the most dangerous players on the ATP circuit and a serious contender to win the tournament in the Netherlands.

"I have matured a bit in the sense that I prefer to stay at home rather than be here, you know? If I've come this far, let me fight till the end. If I'm destined to lose, I'll lose. It's okay. But I want to be at peace with myself knowing that I gave it my all. Today I did that. It turned out this way. I could have lost 7-6 and 6-4. I could have lost in three sets. I told myself, 'If I lose, I lose.' But I don't come here just to throw the first match if something goes wrong. I prefer to stay at home," he confessed after the match.

Bublik's wife advised him not to play in Rotterdam

After winning the ATP 250 in Hong Kong, reaching the Australian Open round of 16, and playing the Davis Cup ties for Kazakhstan just four days ago, even his wife had recommended he take a break, advice that Alexander hasn't paid much attention to. When asked if it was a good idea to play in the tournament against her advice, Bublik displayed his characteristic humor.

"Who told you that? Why would it be bad? It's just a match. I've never gone past the second round here. I thought if I lost this match, it would be the last time I came to Rotterdam. I'm happy I made it through. It was a tough match. Decisive. Very low level, to be honest. I think we played pretty badly tennis today, honestly. I was lucky he made a couple of mistakes at the right moment. He was serving to win the match. He gave me the game. For me, it's just about who was luckier today," he concluded.

He was visibly unhappy with the slow pace of the game on the court, something he reiterated after securing his spot in the round of 16, where he will face Jan-Lennard Struff, another big server who hits the ball hard and likely won't allow him the playing rhythm he'd prefer. Let's see if he can overcome the second-round barrier for the first time or, on the contrary, if he will suffer from the accumulated fatigue of these past weeks.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Bublik: "No vengo aquí para tirar el partido si algo sale mal"