A revenge that’s worth much more.

Bublik lost very early last week in Gstaad against Halys. He’ll have the chance to get his revenge, and it’s in a final. Motivation is at its peak.

I saw that famous match in particular, and it was a big coin flip in altitude conditions. Bublik gave up a few more break points, but that was also because he was frustrated and not very motivated, while Halys already had one match under his belt and was as serious as usual. We also saw this match played over two days with a pretty tense finish. The context was special, and we’ll have a completely different Bublik this time.

This week, we have the prime version of Bublik. The Kazakh is focused and particularly hungry for victory in a tournament that really seems to suit him. The atmosphere is pleasant, he’s enjoying it, and apparently one of his coaches is Austrian, which can help. We’re seeing the best version of Bublik, it’s easy to tell. And when that’s the case, matches only depend on him, it’s as simple as that.

I’m not even sure he feels any pressure for this final, given that he won the tournament last season, and a loss in the final wouldn’t be disastrous in terms of ranking points either. He’s already won it and wants to do the double. He’s actually the one in the best position here, with the added motivation of wanting revenge for his loss to Halys.

On the French side, the change compared to the last tournament isn’t as significant. However, Halys has managed to raise his level a bit more and is having a fantastic week. All week long he would have been considered the underdog and underrated against good players, but he’s proven that he’s clearly the boss in these conditions. What he’s producing is perfect. His serving quality is impeccable. And he’s chasing his first title. That’s my only concern for him. Handling a final, especially for a first title, is no small thing. When I see how much he trembled trying to close it out against Hanfmann today in the semi-final, I’m afraid he’ll crack under the pressure tomorrow and miss his chance.