ATP Tour

Bublik completes 'altitude double' against countryman Shevchenko in Kitzbühel

Alexander Bublik continued his march across the European Alps on Thursday afternoon with a straight-sets victory against Alexander Shevchenko at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel.

Facing Shevchenko for the second time in eight days after his second-round victory in Gstaad last week, Bublik eased to a 6-4, 6-2 quarter-final triumph against his fellow Kazakhstani in Kitzbühel. The in-form Bublik led Shevchenko 3-2 in the second set when their match was suspended for more than one hour due to rain. During the delay, the two players shared dinner in the player lounge before Bublik returned to reel off the final three games and seal victory.

Got there in the end ☔️😅

Top seed Alexander Bublik has secured his spot in the semi-finals in Kitzbuhel with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Shevchenko! #GeneraliOpen pic.twitter.com/QQi8u3Takp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 24, 2025

“It’s quite demanding, but at the end of the day we’re tennis professionals and we are ready for that,” Bublik said when asked about competing in high altitude in consecutive weeks. “I’m happy that I stayed in form and continued winning matches. I hope I can continue this trend.”

Having last week gone on to lift the trophy in Gstaad, his first tour-level title on clay, Bublik is now on a six-match winning streak after reaching the last four in Kitzbühel, where he will face Botic van de Zandschulp. The Dutchman moved past Thiago Seyboth Wild 7-6(2), 6-2 to reach his first tour-level semi-final since Munich 2023.

Bublik, who is up three spots to No. 27 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, remains on track to notch 30 tour-level wins in a season for the first time since 2022. He now holds a 22-15 record in 2025 and is 15-2 since the start of Roland Garros in late May, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.

The other semi-final on Friday’s schedule in Kitzbühel will be an all-French affair between Arthur Rinderknech and Arthur Cazaux. Sixth seed Rinderknech, who upset Alexander Zverev last month at Wimbledon, ousted former finalist Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to reach his first tour-level semi-final in 12 months.

Meanwhile Cazaux has backed up reaching his maiden ATP Tour semi-final last week in Gstaad by equalling that run in Kitzbühel. The 22-year-old on Wednesday overcame Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4 to seal his last-four spot.

Cazaux has risen 17 spots to No. 83 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Kitzbühel exploits so far. He could rise as high as No. 71 by winning the title in Austria.