UTS Oslo: The Bublik Enemy takes down Thieminho
Alexander Bublik defeated Dominic Thiem three quarters to one during Day 1 competition at UTS Oslo. It was Thiem’s second loss on Friday
Alexander Bublik (c) UTS
Alexander Bublik, The Bublik Enemy, kicked off his UTS Oslo campaign with a 16-13, 17-14, 16-17, 13-12 victory over Dominic “Thieminho” Thiem on Friday evening.
Bublik led 16-13 in the third quarter, putting himself on the verge of a sweep. However, the Kazakh got tight with the finish line in sight and Thiem reeled off four points in a row to steal the quarter and stay alive. Bublik responded by destroying his racket.
However, The Bublik Enemy also responded by rebounding in the fourth quarter. An especially impressive point came with Bublik leading 9-6, when he hit a tweener and then answered a drop-volley by his opponent with a cross-court forehand pass. Thieminho eventually drew level at 12-12, but Bublik won the deciding point with a backhand drop-shot.
“I got tight,” Bublik admitted. “If you serve four double-faults, there’s not much your opponent has to do. I was very lucky to finish it in the end.”
Earlier in the day, Thiem lost to Holger Rune (The Viking) in sudden death. Thus the Austrian is off to a slow start in his second-ever UTS participation. He last played in this format back in UTS1 (2020).
Bublik is making his fourth UTS appearance. His history at this event includes participation in the 2023 UTS London Grand Final, where he was eliminated during round-robin competition.
