The finalists at the ATP Antalya Open are Alexander Bublik and Alex de Minaur. The Australian took out David Goffin in a high-quality three-setter, while Bublik stopped a vintage run by Jeremy Chardy. Who’s your pick to clinch the title on Wednesday?
ATP Antalya Open Final Prediction
Alex de Minaur vs Alexander Bublik
Head-to-head: First meeting
Alex de Minaur has been one of the brightest young talents on the circuit for a while now, and he confirmed that in the shortened 2020 season. The Australian was the runner-up at Antwerp and made his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open. He definitely hasn’t slowed down following the off-season and managed to make his eighth ATP final in the first week of the year already.
The campaign started with easy-enough wins over 36-year-old Malek Jaziri and up-and-coming Bulgarian Adrian Andreev. The first real test was supposed to come with sixth-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili but with the Georgian struggling to find the court and piling up a huge amount of unforced errors, de Minaur was able to secure a comfortable victory. The semifinals saw him face the second seed, David Goffin, in what was a very tight affair for the first two sets. However, de Minaur was able to find the extra gear in the decider, making a few defensive gets and lobs that were just outrageous.
His championship match opponent will be Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, who’s still seeking his first ATP title. Bublik lost on the final hurdle in Chengdu and Newport two years back and he’ll be hoping the third time could be the charm here. He was particularly impressive in his dismissal of top-seeded Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinals. Undeniably a very talented player, Bublik is known for using unusual tactics like underarm serves and trick shots. He also tends to lose his concentration during matches. So far, we’ve seen very little of the latter in Antalya this week.
Bublik is taking tennis seriously this week and that makes him a very dangerous opponent. He also has the power to hit through de Minaur, although with Australian’s footspeed it’s never an easy thing to do. Bublik’s unpredictability can be a double-edged sword and he just cannot afford to throw away points in that matchup. De Minaur is the sensible pick but do not be surprised if Bublik delivers him the toughest challenge yet.
There’s also a slight injury concern – the Kazakh rolled his ankle in the second set of the semifinal. He managed to win in the end and moved alright in the decider but we can’t exclude the possibility that his movement could be hampered in the final. In that case, he shouldn’t stand much of a chance.
Prediction: de Minaur in 3
Main Photo from Getty.
