While Sinner was energized, Bublik was flat, and he only flatlined further as the night went on. Normally something close to a serve-bot, he hit just two aces and committed 13 double faults. He won only 19 percent of points on his second serve, and hit 13 winners against 31 errors.
Bublik, smiling at his own futility, managed to treat the packed house to a few reflex return winners down the stretch. The fans roared in hope, but their cheers only served to show how much more they wanted from this match, and how little they got. In the end, Bublik managed just three breadsticks, in a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 defeat.
When they shook hands, a still-smiling Bublik told Sinner, “I’m not bad. But what the f—-?”
Later, on Instagram, he put up a two-letter post:
AI
Maybe he had been right all along.
