Alexander Bublik is well known to be a somewhat unorthodox player, but he took his antics to new heights in Miami. The Kazakh athlete was well down in the match, a set and 4-0, so when Ruud struggled to put a lob deep Bublik took the opportunity to do something that has probably never been seen on the ATP tour before.
At 40-15 on his own service game to make the score 1-4 in the second set Bublik has full control of the point. Ruud struggles to make a strong lob but with the ball in the air for such a long time Bublik is able to think about what he is going to do.
When Bublik has time to think on a tennis court you often get the unexpected. This is one of the reasons that the Kazakh is not one of the more consistent names in the top 30 in the world, it certainly isn’t a lack of talent. Bublik is a title winner this season already, beating Alexander Zverev in the final in Montpellier, and is up inside the world’s top 50. However, he will be remembered by the Miami crowd for a long time for his decision at this point.
Have you ever seen anything like it?!
There's unorthodox – then there's Alexander Bublik 👻#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/dNLXmukLf8
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 27, 2022
Bublik produces the butt
With a quick look around to the scoreboard to double-check the match and game position, Bublik then moves forward to the pitch of the ball. As he moves, however, he moves his racket around in his hands so that the butt of the racket is in the air. His hands are holding the frame on either side and he uses his white grip to tap the ball back over the net into the service box on Ruud’s forehand side.
The Norwegian, though no doubt confused, is able to get to the ‘drop shot’ and attempt a lob but by this stage Bublik has been able to re-orient the racket to get back and smash the winner away.
The crowd goes wild, Bublik is beaming, and, judging by the fist bump on change of ends, Casper Ruud appreciated the fun of it too. Indeed, Ruud joked to Bublik in the exchange at the end of the match that he “would be on Tennis TV like always.” Absolutely spot on again from Casper!
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Main Photo:
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