Бублик творит сенсацию в Халле: Александр Бублик выбивает первую ракетку мира в напряжённом полуфинале (Bublik Shocks Halle: Alexander Bublik Knocks Out World No. 1 in Nail-Biting Semi-Final)

Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik sent shockwaves through the 2025 grass-court swing on Thursday, stunning world No. 2 and defending champion Jannik Sinner 7-6(5), 6-3 at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle. The 26-year-old hammered 36 winners—including 18 aces—in just 87 minutes, ending Sinner’s 49-match unbeaten streak outside of Grand Slams and reigniting his own push toward the ATP Top 10. Why Bublik’s Halle upset matters • Momentum builder for Wimbledon 2025: Bublik captured his maiden ATP 500 title on the same Halle lawns two years ago and now looks poised for another deep run at SW19. • Grass-court pedigree: With a unique blend of flat serves, audacious drop shots and frequent serve-and-volley forays, the 6-foot-5 right-hander owns a career 70 percent win rate on grass. • Ranking surge: The victory guarantees at least a 300-point haul, projected to push him from No. 18 to inside the Top 12 when the new rankings are released Monday. Match recap Sinner carved out the first break at 4-3, but Bublik replied instantly, saving three set points behind second-serve bombs averaging 124 mph. The Kazakh held his nerve in a tense tiebreak, then raced to a 4-1 lead in set two by stepping inside the baseline to punish Sinner’s kick serve. He closed on his third match point with a 132 mph ace up the T, arms aloft to a standing ovation from the OWL Arena crowd. Quote of the day “I told myself, ‘If you can’t enjoy grass, you shouldn’t play tennis.’ I emptied the clip today and it worked,” Bublik said in his on-court interview. What’s next Bublik meets Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semifinal. Their head-to-head stands at 2-2, with Bublik winning their lone grass encounter at Wimbledon 2023. A victory would send him to his fifth ATP final since June 2024 and mark the first back-to-back Halle finals since Roger Federer’s run from 2017-19. Stat corner • 1st player to beat Sinner on grass since Djokovic, Wimbledon 2023 • 87% first-serve points won (47/54) vs. Sinner’s 68% • 10 straight service games held after initial break at 3-4 in set one Bublik’s bigger picture The man once known for on-court trick shots and mid-match retirements appears to have transformed his mindset. After admitting in 2022 he considered quitting tennis, Bublik hired mental-performance coach Mindaugas Sereikis last season; since then he has captured titles in Metz, Doha and Montpellier while slashing double faults by 23 percent year-over-year. Wimbledon odds have already tightened, with major sportsbooks slicing him from 125-1 to 40-1 overnight. Fans’ take Social media lit up with memes likening Bublik’s fearless shot-making to “Kyrgios 2.0.” The OWL Arena crowd chanted “Bu-blik! Bu-blik!” as he signed autographs, while Kazakh broadcaster QazaqTV cut to live coverage of celebrations in his hometown of Gatchina. Key takeaway If Bublik maintains this level of controlled aggression, he could replicate—or even surpass—his quarterfinal run at Wimbledon 2023. With Carlos Alcaraz nursing a minor ankle niggle, Daniil Medvedev still searching for form on grass and Sinner licking his wounds, the door to a surprise Wimbledon champion is suddenly ajar—and Alexander Bublik just sprinted through it.