Kazakh Alexander Bublik won his first tour-level clay-court title at the Swiss Open in Gstaad, beating Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, in the ATP 250 event’s final on Sunday.
French Open quarterfinalist Bublik, seeded second in Gstaad, was playing in his first final on clay. He had not dropped a set en route to the final but had to regroup after a patchy second set to seal the win in just over two hours.
“Juan, as I told you at the net, this was not tennis. It was complete torture,” Bublik joked at the trophy ceremony. “This is my sixth title and I have played the greats of the game, but this final I will remember as one of the toughest I ever played.
“I can’t wait to come back next year. The beautiful Alps. It’s an amazing spot. I’m really happy that I’m standing here as a winner, but even if I’d lost in the first round, the view is amazing anyway.”
The victory for Bublik was a solid return to form after his first-round Wimbledon exit. It was his second title of the season and the sixth of his career. The world No. 34 lifted the ATP 500 grass-court trophy in Halle last month.
