Alex de Minaur, Alexander Bublik to battle for Antalya title

"I had to reset and go back to my game plan and my strengths after I lost the second set.”

It took Alex de Minaur nearly two hours to get the job done against No. 2-seeded David Goffin in Antalya on Tuesday. The 21-year-old secured a spot in the final with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory, his second straight win over the Belgian.

“I didn’t start really well and I didn’t serve well at the beginning,” said Goffin. “From 0-2 down, I didn’t lose my serve until 1-2 in the third set. It was much better, and I was playing well—more offensive. There were long points in the third set and it turned his way. I am pleased to have played four matches this week.”

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De Minaur, who is looking for his fourth career ATP title, will face Alexander Bublik in what will be their first encounter.

"Alex can beat any player on any given day and he has lots of firepower," said De Minaur. "So I will need to rest and prepare well ahead of the final."

For his part, Bublik rallied past Jeremy Chardy, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, in a match that took just over two hours. In his previous encounter on Monday, The 23-year-old from Kazakhstan, who had upset top seed Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinal, is aiming for his first career ATP title.

“I got injured in the middle of the match and considered pulling out, but I said myself, ‘Okay, I will give it a try.’ I then served unbelievably, the best since Chengdu 2019. I served almost every serve full power and I was lucky to win the match.”