By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, October 31, 2025
Photo: Rolex Paris Masters Facebook
On Halloween, Alexander Bublik turned the City of Light into a haunted house for Demon.
Mixing explosive discs with debilitating drops, Bublik rallied forward Alex de Minaur 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-5 to advance to his first Rolex Paris Masters semi-final today.
It was Bublik’s 30th win in his last 37 matches as he continues a historic march as the first man from Kazakhstan to reach an ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
Thirst for FIRST 😱
Alexander Bublik reaches his first Masters semi-final, defeating De Minaur 6-7 6-4 7-5 in #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/twQtrBj1rN
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 31, 2025
Sascha sublime 🙌
For the first time in his career, Alexander Bublik has scored multiple Top-10 wins in the same event on multiple occasions! #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/D9SitpoBRn
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 31, 2025
Continuing his quest for a fifth title in 2025, Bublik will meet Happy Auger-Also for a place in the finals.
US Open semi-finalist Auger-Aliassime ended Shanghai champion Valentin Vacherot’s inspired run with a 6-2, 6-2 thrashing in today’s first quarter-final to defeat the Monaco player on a 10-match Masters 1000 winning streak.
The ninth-seeded Auger-Aliassime reached his 10th semifinal of the season, improved to an ATP-best 14-2 indoors this season and carries a 3-2 career lead over Bublik into their semifinal meeting.
Five months ago, Bublik rallied from two sets down to lose 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to de Minaur on the red clay of Roland Garros. That comeback win propelled Bublik, who was ranked No. 82 in March, into the quarterfinals of the French Open and the best season of his career. Since that comeback, Bublik has won four titles on three different surfaces—grass, clay and hardcourt—and joins No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz as one of only two players to beat Jannik Sinner in a completed match this season.
De Minaur looked highly motivated to avenge his loss at Roland Garros in a hard-fought opening set today.
Serving at 5-6, de Minaur was tested at 30-all when Bublik carved a brilliant volley down the line. The Aussie lined an ace down the T holding 6-all to force the tiebreaker.
Five mini-breaks marked the first nine points of the tiebreaker. When de Minaur scored a backhand, Bublik went up 5-3.
De Minaur’s forehand turned the ball in his favor. Scoring an inside-out forehand winner, the Aussie leveled at 5-all.
Bublik sent a forehand back deep and then hit a forehand into the net from a huge de Minaur forehand as the US Open quarter-finalist grabbed a one-set lead after 54 minutes of play.
The 26-year-old de Minaur won 12 of 14 points on Bublik’s second serve with big serves and faced just one break point despite serving just 51 percent in the first set.
Halle Bublik’s champion possesses that rare combination of shocking power and disturbing touch. He set it up by creating the only break of the second set. Bublik hit a fantastic full-length half-volley winner for break point, then punished a forehand return winner to break for a 2-1 lead in the second set.
‘Dripping talent’ 😱
Bublik turns magic mode into a break in #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/iDR2bE6oX7
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 31, 2025
The 28-year-old Kazakh saved a break point with a curling serve, eventually holding for 4-2.
Bublik blasted his eighth ace to seal the second set – his second ace in a row late in the game – to force a final set after 91 minutes of play.
Bublik was piling on the pressure in the ninth game by exploiting a couple of double faults for two break points. De Minaur drilled a pair of aces and hit a forehand down the line to hold for 5-4.
Credit Bublik for successfully setting up the dropper again against one of the fastest players in the game, who has reached par after 10 games.
The flat-hitting De Minaur spat nine double faults today – by contrast Bublik hit 16 aces against four double faults – and the Demon’s most costly double saw her double fault on the break and a 6-5 lead.
Staring down the finish line, Bublik cruised to a two-goal game to end a two-hour, 22-minute triumph with his 16th ace and a shout of success.
Bublik raised his record to 37-20 and rises to a Career-high No. 13 in the ATP live rankings continuing his push for a Top 10 appearance.
