Alexander Bublik has shared his opinion on the speed of the Paris Masters courts following criticism from some of the players.
Bublik is having a Paris Masters to remember after confirming his place in the semi-finals of the indoor event.
The World No. 11 has been thriving on the slower courts, which have been criticised by some of the players on the ATP Tour.
Bublik has now shared what he truly believes about the slower courts as he’s even compared them to a clay court.
Alexander Bublik shares the ‘biggest difference’ with the Paris Masters courts
Bublik has beaten Alexei Popyrin, Corentin Moutet, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur in Paris, but he’s also noticed the pace of the court.
Speaking at his Paris Masters press conference, Bublik compared the courts to the clay of Roland Garros. “It’s definitely slower than clay, in my opinion,” he said.
“Because on clay you have a higher bounce, especially the Paris clay, it has a higher bounce, and on clay the ball has more speed after it bounces,” he added. “So after the bounce, it can generate the spin.”
“You can move an opponent back with using a topspin. Here is a bit different, but it’s slower and it’s not — you don’t have this kind of a whip, I would say, after the ball lands.
“If you do a great topspin or a great kick serve, you don’t have this whip that puts opponent back on their back foot. So that’s the biggest difference.
“That’s why the indoor hard, especially this one, is one of the slowest I have played, yes.”
Bublik has managed the change in pace well, and he still has an outside chance of qualifying for the ATP Finals.
What Alexander Bublik needs to do to qualify for the ATP Finals
Bublik’s second half of the season has kept him in the hunt for a top eight position ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin.
The star currently occupies the World No. 11, but his run at the Paris Masters means he can still overtake Lorenzo Musetti as the eighth seed.
Bublik needs to win the Paris Masters and will then likely need a deep run at Metz, which he’s already signed up for.
The star is currently 815 ranking points away from Musetti, but the Italian has been confirmed to play in Athens next week.
