Rublev earns first win of 2025, Felix advances in Montpellier

Andrey Rublev is up and running in 2025.

The No. 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings earned his first win of the season on Wednesday at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier, where he overcame American Christopher Eubanks 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.

Rublev suffered opening-round exits against Fabian Marozsan and #NextGenATP Brazilian Joao Fonseca in Hong Kong and at the Australian Open, respectively. However, the top seed was in control throughout his 66-minute clash against Eubanks at the ATP 250 indoor hard event in France, where he won 89 per cent (25/28) of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Rublev leads Eubanks 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and will next play Arthur Rinderknech or Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarter-finals.

Felix Auger-Aliassime continued his good start to the season by overcoming Frenchman Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 7-6(5). The second seed lifted the trophy at the ATP 250 hard-court event in Adelaide earlier this month and is now in the quarter-finals in Montpellier for the second time.

The Canadian, a semi-finalist in Montpellier last year, will next play China’s Buyunchaokete. The eighth seed defeated Constant Lestienne 6-2, 6-1.

Defending champion Alexander Bublik began his title defence in France with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Dominik Koepfer. The fourth seed captured his fourth tour-level title at the ATP 250 last year. Bublik arrived in Montpellier holding a 0-2 record on 2025.

In first-round action on Day 3, American qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic moved past sixth seed David Goffin 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, while Dutchman Jesper de Jong advanced after French wild card Quentin Halys was forced to retire. De Jong, 24, led 7-6(7), 2-0 when play was stopped. De Jong will meet Flavio Cobolli in the second round.