The final match of the day brought a true tennis thriller in front of packed stands that literally carried the local player to victory with frenetic support. Third seed Alexander Bublik completed a great comeback to defeat Karen Khachanov 2-1 in sets (4:6, 7:6, 7:6). The match lasted 2 hours and 28 minutes and offered incredible balance on the court, where every single point mattered.
Devastating Serves Cancel Out Missed Break Opportunities
Khachanov opened the match better, winning the first set 6:4 with the only break of the entire encounter. Although Bublik failed to convert any of his five break points (0/5) throughout the match, he was saved by an incredibly sharp initial shot. The Kazakh fired 21 aces, while the Russian player stopped at just three.
The statistics best illustrate how dramatic and unpredictable the match was:
- In total, both players won exactly 105 points each.
- Bublik played extremely aggressively, hitting 49 winners and 32 unforced errors.
- Khachanov recorded 37 winners with 27 unforced errors.
- The Russian player saved all five break points he faced (5/5).
A Game of Nerves Goes to the Crowd Favorite
Without a single break in the second and third sets, the decision had to come down to tie-breaks, where the home crowd played a key role. In both tie-breaks, Bublik maintained his focus and won by identical scores – 7:5. In the decisive moments of the third set, the pressure from the stands and devastating serves were too much for the fifth seed, and Bublik deservedly celebrated a huge triumph.
Follow all the latest results, match schedules, exclusive interviews, and our original on-court photo galleries on our central ATP Almaty Open Hub page.
