Alexander Bublik revealed that he considered pulling out of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam because he was scheduled as the first match of the day. The No. 8 seed took to the court at 11am local time on Tuesday, beating Borna Coric in straight sets. But he didn’t expect to do well after being given a morning slot and waking up at 7.30am.
Bublik is known for his entertaining personality both on and off the court. His antics have sometimes gotten him in trouble, often receiving code violations, and he often throws in some unorthodox shots – including hitting the ball with the handle of his racket mid-rally.
And the 26-year-old shared a new amusing anecdote when he defeated Coric 6-3 6-4 in Rotterdam as he almost decided to withdraw when he saw that he was set to play first. Asked what he was most pleased about with his victory, Bublik replied: “Winning at 11am?
“I mean I haven’t done this in the past three years I think. I had no expectations when I saw the schedule. I was like okay, I won’t be playing.” The world No. 23 wasn’t happy with his early 7.30am wake-up call for the first-round contest as he shared what he told his coach ahead of the match.
“In the morning I was texting my coach around 7.30, last time I woke up 7.30 was before October. Before 10 you will not see me outside, awake,” he smiled. “So I was texting my coach maybe we should just pull out. I mean I go to sleep 7.30, what is this for, tell me. So I’m really happy just to get through.”
But Bublik impressed against the world No. 31 in what was a rematch of the recent Montpellier final, which he also won. The Kazakh fired down 13 aces and saved all five break points he faced during the one-hour and 51-minute match, also attacking Coric’s second serve and winning 52 per cent of those points.
