Match Report
Bublik reaches Hangzhou ultimate, joins Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev on elite listing
French qualifier Royer advances to maiden ATP Tour title match
September 22, 2025
Hangzhou Open
Alexander Bublik in motion on Monday in Hangzhou.
By Sam Jacot
Alexander Bublik joined Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev as the one males to advance to tour-level finals on all three surfaces this season on Monday on the Lynk & Co Hangzhou Open, the place he defeated Chinese language wild card Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-3.
Bublik received titles on clay in Gstaad and Kitzbuhel in July and captured a crown on grass in Halle in June. Now on the ATP 250 hard-court occasion in Hangzhou, the third seed has appeared spectacular. In a dominant efficiency in opposition to Wu, Bublik fired 19 aces previous the house favorite to achieve the championship match after 61 minutes.
“I used to be anticipating a troublesome battle. Clearly he was a little bit drained from yesterday. It’s by no means simple to play somebody from a selected area at house,” Bublik stated. “I’m completely satisfied I stayed sturdy and did not give him many possibilities.”
Wu upset Daniil Medvedev within the quarter-finals in Hangzhou however struggled to take care of Bublik’s huge recreation within the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly. Bublik is 30-17 on the season and is heading in the right direction for a career-best season, having earned a earlier 35 wins in 2021, in line with the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Bublik is trying to find his third title in his previous 4 tournaments, along with his solely defeat on this run coming in opposition to then-World No. 1 Jannik Sinner within the fourth spherical on the US Open.
Bublik is up three spots to twelfth within the PIF ATP Reside Race To Turin and can look to complete the season strongly in a bid to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the primary time. He’ll meet French qualifier Valentin Royer within the championship match on Tuesday.
Royer continued his breakthrough week with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph in opposition to countryman Corentin Moutet. The 24-year-old was competing in his first tour-level semi-final and is the fourth qualifier to achieve an ATP Tour ultimate this yr.
Royer struck 15 winners and dedicated 13 unforced errors in opposition to Moutet and handled the lefty’s courtroom craft to seal victory within the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly. Royer is up 13 locations to No. 75 within the PIF ATP Reside Rankings and can rise to a career-high on Wednesday.
