Bublik Reaches First Clay Final at Swiss Open Gstaad

Gstaad, Switzerland – Alexander Bublik made history on Saturday by reaching his first tour-level final on clay at the Swiss Open Gstaad. The No. 2 seed dominated his semi-final match against Arthur Cazaux, winning 6-1, 7-5, to secure a spot in the championship match.

Bublik’s performance was impressive, showcasing his powerful serve and aggressive play. He struck 35 winners throughout the 73-minute contest and fired 12 aces while winning 87 percent of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

After the match, Bublik reflected on his consistent success during the tournament, stating, “Surprisingly, I have been winning every match in two sets, but before the tournament I was not convinced on court. Tennis is tennis; we have to adapt, and clay is one of those things.”

With this victory, Bublik will rise to No. 30 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, marking his return to the Top 30 for the first time in over a year. The 28-year-old Kazakhstani aims to secure his sixth ATP Tour title in Sunday’s final against Francisco Cerundolo.

Cerundolo reached the final after defeating Peruvian qualifier Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3, 6-3 in their semi-final match. He noted the challenging windy conditions during his match and emphasized the importance of playing smart against the wind.

<p“I tried to hold serve using variation in my game,” Cerundolo explained. “When I had the wind in my favor, I hit with more spin because the ball bounces really high. That was the key.”

Having jumped 28 places, Cerundolo is now ranked No. 81 and will return to the Top 100 on Monday for the first time since 2023.